Falling Away With You
by Dzuljeta
Summary: Anna was saved just in time, and she's alive. But Fate has more surprises for Van Helsing, Anna, and Carl... Gabriel
1. To love, to wait, to remember

**Chapter 1**

_It's over… everything's over._ Van Helsing looked at Carl with relief. But the relief was gone at once, when he met the look Carl returned to him.

_Where's Anna?_ A sudden wave of panic rushed over him. Moment later, he noticed her lifeless body, laid on the couch.

"She's dead…"

* * *

"How is she?" Gabriel asked, concerned, once again sitting aside her bed. He could not take his eyes off her. Every time he had to leave the room for some reason, he was afraid that he was not going to find Anna in this world when back. She had been lying like that for two days, unconscious… but still alive. Her long brown curls, scattered over her face, were just as ever. But her face… it appeared to Gabriel as if her complexion was too pale, looking so papery… From time to time he could not chase away the horrifying idea that her lips have already begun losing their colour, as has her skin. If he didn't know, he could have sworn that the princess was already dead.

"She will survive, if that was your hidden question. At least, I think so." Carl smiled at him. The friar was just as worried as Van Helsing, but he did not want to disquiet his friend any more - seeing Van Helsing like this was something neither usual nor intelligible for him. He could not remember any other time Gabriel was that uneasy.

"You _do_ need to have some rest," the friar repeated. It was the phrase he had said to Gabriel for over twenty times, but his companion always ignored it.

"I will not be able to fall asleep anyway." He was thankful to God that Carl knew so much about medicine. Otherwise, Anna wouldn't have survived. But… if he hadn't felt her pulse, while carrying her for one last time –

Gabriel winced at the thought. He was really afraid that Anna might die at any moment, but, after hearing from his best friend that she was going to survive , he did feel much better.

"Gabriel, we don't know for how long she will be lying like that. I'll take care of her, I'll bind up her wounds if it's needed, and if- I mean, _when_ she wakes up, I'll call you right away!"

"I thank you for your care, and for your help, Carl," Gabriel stated, and for a moment the friar thought that his friend was going to listen to his advice, "but – it was I who almost _killed_ her. And my soul has almost died with hers. My soul will be alive only when I'm sure she's fine… do you understand me?"

Carl nodded, losing any hope to succeed in persuading his friend to go to rest. He chose to ignore the desire to tease his friend about that last sentence. It could not be Gabriel was in love with that wild princess? The friar chased away the idea, almost laughing at himself.

"Maybe it is you who needs some rest, my friend." Van Helsing said, sighing.

"Maybe you're right – are you sure you can take care of her?" Carl suddenly realised how tired he was. Both of them had spent two days and two nights at Anna's room, quaking with fear at every movement of hers.

"That, my friend, I can swear." He tried not to show it, but he was glad that Carl was finally leaving. He wanted to share some moments with Anna alone, no matter how sad they would be.

Gabriel could not stop thinking about what would happen _if _she wouldn't wake up. He couldn't bear the thoughts of himself, telling the people that their princess was gone… dead… and that was all his and only his fault.

He felt tears forming inside his eyes once again. _God… please, don't let her die. I don't care about anybody now, anybody but her. I don't know what will happen if- when she wakes up, maybe she will be mad at me and just go away… all I want is her to be alive and well._

Van Helsing tried to look at the funny side of it. He, the one who was called a killer, a murderer… was actually caring about someone. There had been other women in his life – but none of them affected him the way _she_ did…

The brighter side of death… maybe someday he would be able to see it. But not Anna's. His finger ran through her face, hoping to see, to feel anything that would confirm the friar's words. Looking at her pale face, her slightly parted lips, he smiled sadly. He knew much about her family – but almost nothing of her. _I will show you the sea, Anna, I promise. _His mind was filled with many memories of them together. It all happened so fast, and yet, he could swear it was the best episode of his life.

Once again, his mind stopped by memories of their kiss. The kiss he could still feel on his lips, so sweet, so passionate, desperate… so_ real_.

Gabriel got up, turning his face away from Anna, who was lying on her bed in one of her nightgowns, carefully covered with blankets … it would appear that she was only sleeping… however, underneath the blankets and the nightdress there were many bruises and wounds… made by _him_, Van Helsing.

The guilt was once again flooding over him.

"I'm sorry, Anna! I'm sorry!" he said, not sure if he was saying that for real or were these only the words echoing in his mind.

Van Helsing drew the curtain. It was already dark outside, and he was soon to have another sleepless night. He could not even say if he was tired or not, he probably was… but he didn't feel it. _There are more important things than sleep right now._

Gabriel turned to Anna. Her breathing was silent and still, but suddenly it seemed to Gabriel that she was smiling. _God. Maybe I should try to get some sleep, after all_. It was hard to see her face in the darkness, so he had to turn away from her once more to find a candle.

Lost in his thoughts, he was desperately trying to find one in the darkness - - -

"VAN HELSING!"

"Anna!"


	2. Insanity, dream, or reality?

**_Disclaimer: I do NOT own Van Helsing._**

**Chapter 2**

"Anna!"

The found candle fell to the floor.

Gabriel turned around quickly, forgetting everything in the world. _Anna…_

The princess was lying as still as before, only the expression oh her face was now changed to an awry grin.

_Am I losing my mind? Or was that Carl who called me?_ That scream he has just heard… he could swear it was Anna's voice! It appeared to him that that call contained all the pain, all the longing, all the sadness and desperation of the world inside it…

He stopped for a second. _My imagination is truly going to kill me someday._

Van Helsing abandoned the attempt to light a candle, and sat down on the chair by Anna's bed - that way he could see every possible movement of her face. Now he realised he could, even without the help of a candle. His lips once again curled to a small smile.

Gabriel was looking at the princess as if trying to stick her perfect features into his mind. That was what he was trying to do - that way, even if he was to lose her, he would have an unforgettable memory of a perfection that once existed…

Lost in his heavy thoughts once again, Gabriel closed his eyes for a while, trying to sort all the things in his head, things that happened during those improbable days. However, only one thing seemed to be very clear in the mist of his thoughts – the princess. Anna…

"Gabriel…" he heard a silent whisper coming from Anna's bed.

_What now? Now I'm hearing things. Maybe I should really have a rest. _He couldn't see any changes on face of the princess… but maybe that was because it was really dark?

A thought of finding another candle rushed through his mind.

Suddenly he saw the big brown eyes opening. Anna gasped for air, and instantly sat down – a scream came from her mouth, and she fell on her back again, not able to stand the pain which surged all over her.

"Gabriel, where the hell am I!" she shouted – tried to - her voice was barely above a whisper, but Gabriel was too happy to notice that. Could it be, _could it be! _

"Anna! Is that really you?" Gabriel asked, not trusting himself anymore, even though his sight was now glued to hers.

To Anna, his voice sounded like he was a few streets away from her. Her body ached terribly, but she seemed not to know – not to remember – the reason why…

"You act really stupid sometimes, do you know… that?" She smiled faintly at him, having to stop after few words every time to get some air. "Where am I? It's... really dark here – I… hardly… can see you…" she took a deep breath and shouted with pain, uselessly trying to pull herself back to sitting position. "And why my whole body hurts like… I don't know what! What's wrong with me! What happened?" Anna tried to move again, but was stopped by another shot of pain.

"I'll light a candle." Gabriel smiled to her, his eyes now shining. "Don't move so much – the bleeding will start again."

"_Bleeding_?" Anna cursed in a way a princess really shouldn't.

She turned her head, looking at Van Helsing, who now finally succeeded in lighting a candle up.

"Oh, it's my room!" Anna grinned from ear to ear. "Seems my neck…" she stopped and breathed in, "… is the only thing I can move feeling no pai-"

She remembered something, and he noticed that her look suddenly changed to serious, even painful. "…I had a very… strange dream tonight, Gabriel." Her voice piped down and became much more silent, almost inaudible.

"A very strange and… sad dream."

Van Helsing leaned closer to her, afraid to miss a single word she said. He was thinking about suggesting her to stop talking, and to have some rest, but _that_ look in her eyes… so sad, so… _pleading_. It held a plea to be listened, and longing to be heard. Gabriel could never have thought he could see so much in one's eyes, but this time, he did.

"Tell me about it, Anna." He replied softly and touched her hand, on a hunch that she would want it. Never before did she seem so much in need for something – or for somebody.

"It was…" her eyes didn't leave his, not for a single moment. "…I dreamt that you had one last battle with the Count…" – for a moment, her eyes were filled with hatred – "…Dracula… and you transformed into a werewolf, and…I was there to help you – and you… killed me…" her breathing became fast and intense – "I felt such pain… I called your name… I _knew_ I wasn't ready to leave –"

She stopped. The look in Gabriel's eyes frightened her.

"What's the last thing you remember, Anna? Not from a dream?"

The princess appeared to be thinking for a moment, looking at Gabriel dolefully. "I remember… there are so many memories in my head… it's weird, I can't understand…"

"You should really have a rest, Anna. The morning is wiser than the evening. I am sure you will remember everything then."

"You're right, Gabriel." She yawned. "But – please tell me where did I get all these bruises from, it's scary… it's like…"

"Please, save yourself, Anna. I'll tell you tomorrow… _everything_ you want to know. For now, just sleep…"

"You act just like my brother… when he was alive… I miss him so much…" Anna's languishing expression now became sorrowful.

"I'll bring you something to drink. I ask of you, Anna, don't talk now, try to sleep, you've lost much blood. " Anna could have died for the look he gave her.

"Water, please." She smiled, feeling overstressed.

When he came back, Anna Valerious was already sleeping, a peaceful expression on her face. Gabriel stroked her hair tenderly and kissed he forehead, smiled to the Sleeping Beauty, placed a cup on her night-table and blew out the candle, giving her one last look before he exited the room.

Some minutes later Gabriel was already in bed – it once belonged to Velkan – but he was sure Anna's brother wouldn't mind him using it… that way, he was only a wall away from Anna. Many thoughts were running through his mind, and he felt a bunch of mixed emotions. But he knew one thing for real -

_Tomorrow was going to be a hard day._


	3. Confusion & confession

**Chapter 3**

"How are you feeling today?" Gabriel asked, entering her room the next morning. He noticed Anna was sitting on her bed, propped with pillows. Carl was feeding her with a spoon like a little child. Gabriel found it entertaining and laughed.

"You're better, I hope?" only his eyes split his worry.

She glanced back at him and smiled. "I wouldn't say I'm _much _better." My whole body hurts like hell… that horrible wound below my chest will take ages to heal," she shivered.

"...and all the other ones, too," Anna made a face. Her voice was still weak and quiet, but her eyes were now shining. However, Carl wasn't certain about whether her eyes shone from happiness or from the fever she appeared to have. "You see, I can't even hold the spoon in my hands now…" _This pain's going to kill me. _She smiled, as if the hurt meant nothing to her. It appeared to Anna that smiling somehow could make the pain less severe and more tolerable. Surprisingly, it did... for a second.

Van Helsing looked directly into her eyes. "I'm so sorry…" that was all he managed to say. _What have I done?_

"Sorry for… sorry for what?" Anna looked – she was - confused. She _knew_ there was something missing within her mind, she could feel it almost physically, but she could not understand what and why.

"For making you experience all of this."

"I beg your pardon? What do _you_ have to do with this?" with every word said, Anna felt her memories coming back slowly. It all felt very strange. Thoughts and memories, fantasies and reality were all mixed in her head, and she didn't know what to believe in at all.

Carl interrupted her. "Look, Van Helsing, could you finish feeding our princess? I am sure you both are going to enjoy it," he grimaced. "I need to send a telegram to Rome, to tell them it's all over."

"Wait." Gabriel stopped him. "Could you tell them something else? Like, that we are working on it but we still have work to do?" He caught Anna's thankful look. _If you leave me like this, I'll kill you._ She almost laughed at her thoughts.

"But it's over! No more evil left here, I'm sure you are needed somewhere else now! I don't want to stay here any longer!"

"Go, then." Van Helsing gave him a poke. "Nobody's keeping you here."

"W-what do you mean, go?" The look in the eyes of the friar was priceless, and Gabriel tried his best not to burst out laughing.

"Well, you say, all evil is gone. I am not yet sure. You don't want to stay here, I do. Why should we trouble each other?"

Carl rolled his eyes. "Lying is a sin, but in this case, I'm sure, God would not mind. I'll think of something." With that, he went out and slammed the door.

The left-alone two burst out laughing. Anna loved that moment. _If only I felt at least a bit better…_

"Now, to go on with the feeding…" Van Helsing sat down next to Anna. She grinned, acting like an obedient child. She wanted to say something for him, but could not find words. Words weren't essentially needed in that situation… simply because she could choke with her soup. Realising the absurdity of the situation, she only kept trying not to laugh.

"That's all." He smiled to Anna, and got the smile back.

"Thanks… I feel a little bit better now." she closed her eyes for a second. Opening them, she saw Gabriel was still smiling at her.

Van Helsing knew he was probably going to ruin the moment, but couldn't stop himself. "I see you still don't remember what happened, do you?"

"No… I can't even say where my memories end… Tell me." Anna's brown eyes were shining with hope, holding a daunting wish to know everything. "Whatever happened, _tell me_."

He took her hand, and she only squeezed it harder. "That dream you had, it wasn't exactly a dream, Anna."

Anna's eyes showed no emotions.

"All of this happened for real, except for the last part. It's my fault, Anna, that you nearly died. You kept lying still for two nights, and we weren't sure if you were going to make it, but you did, thank God, you did." Gabriel stopped. "I must thank you; you saved me from becoming a werewolf for ever. And you have every right to hate me now." He never turned his eyes away from hers.

The princess sighed, nearly tearing Gabriel's heart to pieces. "I remember… and… I'd like to thank _you_." She smiled softly. "If I would have died that moment, I would not be unhappy. You saved my family; you completed the mission that we couldn't fulfill for so many years…"

"But I didn't want to die yet..." she continued. "And I'm here, alive, beside you. What else could I wish for? Everything I worked so hard for... is done. All of my life, ever since I was a little girl, I didn't know what normal life was like. Velkan and me… we knew that our lives didn't matter. All that mattered was the final rest of the souls of our family… I didn't have a normal childhood. I was taught how to fight, how to kill, how to run and hide… All my life, I was standing for myself… no, I didn't care about myself; I was nobody… nobody but one more tool to make the lives of these above complete. And I made myself enjoy it. That was the only aim we lived for, and, when our father was murdered, I got to believe it even more." The words from her mouth came slowly, but safely. She forgot everything in the world, even her pain didn't exist at that moment, all she saw was his eyes, all she felt was necessity…

Gabriel was listening to that silent confession closely, knowing that it probably was the first and the last time he could hear her speaking about it.

"I don't know why I'm telling you all of this. I just got that sentimental feeling, you know…" she grinned, noticing that he was smiling at her. "I realised one thing… I _like_ when you care about me. I can't remember other time that I was that hurt… and I don't know any other time I felt that _fine_, thank you, Gabriel."

Short silence followed.

"You're welcome."

She looked at him blankly for a second, and then both laughed. Anna felt happy for another moment, and she prayed it wouldn't be the last.


	4. To be, or not to be:that is the question

**Chapter 4**

Generally, both the Valerious princess and Van Helsing hated being surrounded by an uncomfortable silence. Still, the silence Anna and Gabriel were in was different. It seemed that with the right person, even the silence was_ comfortable._

The look the two shared held all the things they did not want to - were not able to say... at least not yet.

Anna tried, tried uselessly to hide her inner self from him, she prayed, hoping that Gabriel would not begin to read her thoughts from her eyes… of course, she knew that nobody could do that. But it seemed to her that Gabriel saw her through. She wanted to hide her emotions; she did not want to make him worry. The princess didn't want him to lose the image of this strong, natural-born warrior she_ had been _once_._

But the start of this disillusion was already made.

For now she was _sure_ that the end, _her _end, was coming. She could almost feel that she was losing her mind, slowly, but certainly. The pain was more than unbearable… She saw Gabriel sitting next to her, but now she was not even completely sure about that. She was sure about nothing. _I want to die. No, I cannot!_ The mist was in her eyes, in her head, everywhere. Anna closed her eyes, but couldn't find the strength to open them again.

Anna couldn't dispose of the feeling which was all over her. Heavy thoughts and ideas appeared to have settled in her mind - were those even hers? Anna no longer knew if she was still alive... or if she lived no longer. The thoughts running in her head, it seemed, were giving even more pain to her. _However is that possible? _But to relax, to calm down was an impossible thing. She only kept praying in her mind for everything to be over. _Wherever it's to lead me, whatever is to happen_. She felt she couldn't bear it anymore.

She was fighting with something impossible to fight back.

"Anna! Anna! Can you hear me?"

It was the voice of Van Helsing that woke her up from her trance-like state. She felt his eyes on her. The almost physical feeling has only led her her into believing that Gabriel's presence was only going to make the mist in her mind thicker.

"What? … sorry, _Gabriel..._ were you saying anything?" Anna smiled at him kindly, putting all of her strength in trying to not to seem so hopeless; however, her eyes were now full of tears.

The princess rarely cried. There were moments she wanted to, but she managed to stop the tears from falling most of the time. Now she didn't even realise that she might be crying.

Gabriel gave a smile back to her. "For a moment I thought... oh, never mind, I know you are a strong woman, but don't you think it would be better for you to lay down and try to sleep?"

She shook her head, awarding him with another beautiful smile. "No, thanks, I'm fine just the way I am." _Strong woman_… She couldn't believe she heard him say that, after all that she had suffered. But if she wasn't one, she'd probably already be dead.

He saw her pain, he saw her tears. But Van Helsing also knew that now was not the right time to speak about it. One wrong word could ruin everything. All the weak ties they shared could be broken within a second. He knew that the best thing he could give her this moment was his support, unspoken, but visible.

She saw it. And it was, somehow, the only thing to keep her conscious. Once again, she felt the desperate need to speak, now as if it was the only way to stay within this world.

"Are you going to leave me?" Anna lifted her head a bit.

"What?"

"After all of this is over… are you going to leave me?"

What could he say? "_Yes, I am going to leave you, you got what you needed, so goodbye_"?

He couldn't.

"We'll talk about it later, when you are feeling better, believe me, Anna..." he smiled at her.

She did not return the smile. "Tell me now, tell me!" _I can hear angels singing in my head. Is this the end?_ She wanted to scream, to break something, to break that invisible chain which was parting her from the life she never knew, life she wanted to be a part of…

_Hey! Are you going to kill me, now? Just like that? One moment, and I'm gone? I do not want to die, not yet, God, can you hear me? _

"No, I won't leave you." _I cannot. _The terrible thoughts of losing Anna were slowly getting into him.

"Swear it…"

_If I die, I need to know that he cared about me… _

"I swear it, I won't leave you. I'll stay here as long as you want me to."

"Thanks…" she whispered. "But you won't need to spend much time with me... I'm dying."

"No, you are not." Gabriel took her hand, trying to stay calm… or at least to pretend that he was calm. "It will be fine."

It did not look so, however… To Van Helsing, Anna already looked like a ghost. She was certainly feeling like one...

"Before I go, I want you to-"

Lines of some unknown song about some warrior dying and leaving his beloved woman alone kept spinning in her head over and over... and it was not pleasant at all. Besides, she could swear she felt the taste of blood in her mouth.

"Forgive me." _I give up._

The last thing she heard before falling down was the desperate voice of the one so dear to her. "Anna!"


	5. Illusion of a happy life

**Chapter 5**

_2 weeks late__r_

"Gabriel, where are you going?" Anna asked. She was looking and feeling better, at least to Gabriel. But he or Carl did not allow her to get up from her bed – "_not yet, please, God knows what may happen! You scared us too much during the last three weeks…"_

And, surprisingly, Anna did not argue with them about it. Of course, she kept on griping how bad it felt not to be able to get up from your bed for such a long time, but everybody knew she wasn't really mad about it. Seeing her back to her old self made both of the men incredibly happy. However, Anna _did not_ feel like her usual self.

"Will you answer me?" she threw him an angry glance, but her lips were curled to a smile.

"He is about to go to the town and ask if there is any good woman who could help us here with you," Carl replied before Van Helsing could say a word.

Gabriel glanced at him and continued: "I hope you don't mind, do you? You see, it's not that hard for us to take care of you, but-"

"Take care of me!" Anna exclaimed with simulated resentment. "I am no longer a child! And now, I think, I could take good care of myself with none of your help, it's just that you don't allow me to!"

Van Helsing ignored the remark, and resumed his speech: "-I mean, Anna, that you are probably sick of seeing only the two of us for such a long time, and isn't it that women understand women better?"

"It certainly isn't, not in my case," Anna grimaced. "Women are either jealous of me or angry at me that I can't just sit at my castle and read, as any _normal _princess, pretending it is all I ever wanted. But it's a nice idea, give it a try… I hope you could find a nice and caring woman to help me to recover from YOU. But remember, if she troubles me, I can simply kick her out through the window."

"As you wish," Gabriel laughed. "See you later, then."

Anna waved to him, and applied herself to Carl.

"Could you leave me alone for a while? However thankful I am to you both, I am not _that_ ill now, in fact, I feel fine, and you don't have to follow my every move and glance, do you?"

Carl was about to say something, but she continued speaking: "If I need something, I'll call you. There's no need to worry that much, it only ruins my mood and makes me feel worse than I should. Now, get out."

"As you wish, it's you who is the princess here." Carl rolled his eyes and grinned. Catching another angry glance, he went out and closed the door.

_Now that I'm alone…_

Anna gave way to her thoughts.

She tried to count how many times she was almost by the gates of Heaven. _Or Hell? Twice_. _Or more? No, there were hundreds of times. I never really cared. _

_But now I care. I don't want to go away. I don't want to leave, and I am afraid. AFRAID! I was never scared of anything…_

Through the window, she saw the sun shining. The rays of light seemed to come directly to her eyes, and Anna smiled to herself, turning away from the light.

_Light… I miss it. For poor people, or the ones in war, light meant they have another day to live, that they have won another fight with life and death. For me, light always means the start of something new… New life. If only I was sure that I wouldn't have to live my life alone and unhappy, I would be waiting for this new life. I feel the changes coming, all my senses keep screaming that something is going to happen… it scares me, and yet, I'm waiting for it._

_What's waiting for me? Carl, and Van Hel- Gabriel – I don't think they are going to stay here_._ I know, I _remember_ that he promised me to stay. I remember, even though I'm sure that he does not. But I'm not going to keep this like that – he will be forced to remember. I found the light of my life, someone to make my days brighter, my thoughts lighter-_

_What am I thinking about? Why am I thinking about him? In this way? I am meant to stay alone forever, I'm used to it. He's my friend, nothing more…_

_Nothing more!_

"Anna?"

"Oh, hey, welcome back." The voice of Van Helsing brought her back to reality, and she smiled, her eyes meeting his. "Found someone good enough to_ take care of me_?" Her smile transformed to awry grin. The not at all positive ideas she had moments before were quickly melting away.

"I think so…"

"You don't sound certain. Just tell her to come in!"

"You can come in, Erika." He opened the door, and a young girl, no more than thirteen years old, came in.

"Hi." Anna smiled to the girl kindly, yet Van Helsing caught her questioning glance.

"Am I good enough?" the girl asked shyly, causing everyone to smile.

"You don't seem bad _now_…" Anna laughed. "You're name's Erika, isn't it?"

* * *

That's how Erika came to the "family". Anna was happy with her around, in fact, she adored her, and soon she started to treat her like a little sister, especially after knowing that this poor child had no family.

Van Helsing was happy, because he saw Anna happy, and Carl was also happy, because he loved to see everyone like that. And he enjoyed telling tales to the child - he soon learnt she never had anyone tell them to her.

Everything should have been perfect… but it wasn't. There was some unease in the air ever since Erika came there. Nobody would have agreed this has something to do with their new friend – they all thought they became happier having the girl around.

However, the truth _had_ to be found somehow, better sooner than later.


	6. First day of my new life

**Chapter 6**

"I'm so happy I can finally get away from this room…" Anna said both to herself and to Gabriel, who appeared to be enjoying spending time with the princess. _The princess_ was planning to visit the town, to see how _her_ people were doing... "It seems that for years the only places I saw have been my room and the bathroom." She rolled her eyes. "Besides, now I will get to know how everyone spends their days down there… I don't know into what mess everything has turned, it's been a long while… And you or Erika have never told me anything about the events taking place in the town."

"Don't you think you care about everything way too much?" Gabriel said knowingly, helping her to stand up.

"I feel responsible for all of them," Anna's words were now aimed at Van Helsing. "I'm their princess, after all. They have no other government but me now, and I'm afraid to even think what might have happened when I wasn't able to look after things happening among the people I care about." _Should care about, anyway._

"Do you think you will be able to control everything?"

"I don't know… I've never done that before, there were my father and brother who-" Anna took a breath and tried to step, but fell right into Gabriel's arms, who grinned at her.

"I'm afraid you will have to pass short lessons of walking now, before going on." Gabriel was trying to sound serious, but Anna's confused look made him laugh.

"Oh." Anna laughed with him. "I should have considered the possibility," she sighed dramatically. "It's not so bad, after all. That way, I won't let you go away, because I want _you_ to help me." _What am I thinking? I shouldn't talk like that…_

"Sure, that would be an honour, princess." Van Helsing smiled, never taking his eyes off hers.

"Don't you tease me…" She rolled her eyes at him, but kept smiling. "My current situation is not really... pleasant, you know..."

"Why don't you ask for Carl or Erika to help you?" Somewhere deep inside, he knew the answer. Or at least _thought_ that he knew.

"I don't know, they are not quite… not quite what I need." Anna spoke and began regretting her words right after, but had no chance to negate them.

"Oh, I understand." Gabriel winked at her, putting her back on the bed.

"_Do you_?" Anna whispered, more to herself than to Gabriel.

_For how long are you going to pretend, Anna?_

_For how long will you be able to hide-_

_hide what?_

Gabriel waited for Anna to get back from her dream-like state, and took her hand.

"I want to talk to you about something, if you wish to listen to me."

The grave tone of Van Helsing made her wince, but she still tried to bend to him completely.

"Yes, speak…" Anna flinched minutely, having noticed changes in her voice.

"I have never told you how glad I am that you survived everything. It was my entire fault, after all."

"Please, stop blaming yourself, you have saved me…" she whispered softly, closing her eyes. She could not look at him, not at that moment. _If you wouldn't be holding my hand… and if I could walk – I'd just run away. _

He smiled at her, aware that she was not able to see it. To feel it, perhaps.

"Let me finish what I started, Anna. I'm not sure if you remember, I don't even remember if I said it out loud or if I only thought about it, but I have promised two things to you. One was to show you the sea…"

Anna's lips curled to a smile. Several thoughts run through her mind, but she quickly chased them away.

"…and another was-"

"I do remember that one." She opened her eyes and looked directly at him. Her voice now had a some kind of skittish intonation, but it soon changed to a serious one. "And you may not even think about breaking it."

Gabriel appeared to be distracted for a moment.

"Sometimes I just can't understand you," he spoke, smiling.

"You mean, you think that I wasn't…that I am not serious? I thought I was _dying_, Gabriel. I would not have wanted to make any more sins, such as lying, right before standing eye-to-eye with God…" she raised her voice a bit. "And to this day, I haven't changed my mind. But- "Anna sighed,"but if you feel, you _feel _that you must go - go. I have no right to control anybody's life. You have finished your mission…" she stopped and bit her lip, turning her eyes to the ceiling. Now she was truly regretting the things she said.

Gabriel was following her closely, never stopping to smile. _If that's what I think it is,_ _I know what's going to come next._

"Forgive me…" she set to retrieve her usual self. "Don't take anything seriously…" Anna laughed, dissembling her fidget. "I- I don't know what the hell I was thinking, and what kind of nonsense I have just told you…"

"For once, Anna, tell me what you _really_ want, _and_ _I will try to give it to you._"

Anna got petrified at that sentence. These simple words were said with a real sincerity, and Anna, for a moment, felt that she could not hide herself any more. Something within her was broken, and, as she looked at Van Helsing, who was waiting for her answer patiently, she clenched her teeth, directing her eyes to the ceiling once again. The last thing she wanted was tears running down her face. It appeared she has succeeded in stopping them... until she dared to look at him again.

"I don't know what to say," she whispered. "I mean, I know, but I can't…"

"Then say nothing."

"I have probably ruined your previous impression about me…" Anna blinked, realising it was useless to even try to stop the tears from falling. "You thought… I thought of myself as of a strong-willed woman, who can take care of herself just fine, and now it appears to be that I am not like that at all… I cannot even control myself," a crooked smile appeared on her face. "I'm sorry for fooling you."

"You _are_ a strong-willed person, Anna, how else would have you been able to take and survive everything? It's just that you were afraid to show your other side to me. However, I think I was able to see it through you…"_ The one who thinks death has a brighter side._ Van Helsing smiled, seeing how Anna's eyes twinkled.

Short silence stood. The two kept their eyes locked to each other's faces.

"If I'm asking you to stay with me for some more time, will you?" Anna managed to ask him. The look on her eyes told everything her lips couldn't say…

"I never break my promises." Gabriel replied, wrapping his arms around Anna's neck. Within a moment, their lips were entwined in a kiss.

When the two finally separated, no more words were needed… but neither of them could keep silent.

"We should have started from that…" Van Helsing teased her.

"Maybe…" Anna laughed softly. "Look at the window." She motioned.

Gabriel did, at the same time moving a strand of Anna's hair away from her face. "It's dark already, and you still haven't moved away from your bed… Do you still want me to help you?"

"Yes, let's move on with it right now, I'm very much in the mood…" Anna stuck her tongue out at him, laughing, for the first time feeling completely free and unbounded.


	7. You knew, but never believed

**Chapter 7**

"Erika, you must tell me who taught you to do it so well. The tea you make is always so tasty and fragrant… and it never takes long for me to fall asleep - it's quite the contrary, as soon as I put my head on the pillow, I'm like dead. Tell me, what's the secret?" Carl asked, while his new friend was preparing his drink.

"Stop questioning, I never give out my secrets!" Erika grinned. It appeared as though this girl lived here forever. Her once so pathetic modesty was gone, and she was treated no less but a friend of Carl and Anna. Van Helsing, however, tried to hold at arm's length, but the girl seemed to pass it.

"Fine, just tell me what ingredients do you put in it? I can't recognise them." Carl looked at his cup, amused.

"Why won't you just go to bed right now?" she ignored his question deliberately, sounding a little bit annoyed.

"It's not that late yet, and I have nobody to talk to, so I guess I'll stay here for a while…" he winked, and noticed the strange expression on her face. "Hey, are you not happy about it?"

"No, no!" the expression was quickly gone. "Stay here for as long as you wish… How comes you have nobody to talk to? What about Anna and Gabriel?"

"Oh, these two… They only care about each other, at least that's what it seems."

Erika blinked. "I've never noticed that."

"Oh, dear, you should pay far more attention-

Carl stopped, unsure why. "Well, I don't know if something's between them or not, I'm probably just making things up in my mind… forget what I just said."

"Fine. It's not that I believe in you anyway." She sighed. Erika didn't know them well enough to say that something was happening. In fact, she hardly ever saw them together… _This cannot be._

* * *

"Why do you keep avoiding her? She's such a sweet child, and she has helped me a lot…" Anna gave Gabriel another questioning look. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, but I also don't want to disappoint the girl, it looks like she has had many difficult things happening in her life, hasn't she?"

Van Helsing stroked her hair tenderly, but kept his look away from hers. "All of us have difficult lives, in different ways. If you changed the point of view, you would most surely change your opinion about that."

"Have you no heart?" Anna asked, her voice sounding not quite the way she wanted it to. Gabriel heard doubt in her voice. She trusted him, and she trusted Erika, but they seemed not to trust each other. The weird feeling inside was tearing her apart.

"Carl thinks she's amazing. And you don't, can you tell me why?"

"_Do you_?" Gabriel's tone scared her. "Do you _really_ trust her? Is there not any single doubt in you about who she is, and who she was, and what she wants from us?"

"I don't understand you." Anna quailed. _I do._ "It was _you_ who brought her here. I might not trust in her, but I trust in you-

"I think I made a mistake." The tone of Gabriel's voice was cold and certain. "I've met many different people on my way, and she seems, I'm almost sure she is one of a kind…"

"Don't scare me, tell me who she is… Tell me!" Anna forced him to look to her eyes.

_You look beautiful this way._ Van Helsing restrained from saying it. "I wasn't sure at first… first few days I had no suspicions at all. Then… she started to act strange."

"What do you mean, strange?" Anna bit her lip, strange foreboding filling her body.

"Making things fly and such…" Gabriel shrugged, putting no emotion to his voice at all.

_No, no, no! _Anna choked, then gasped for air. Van Helsing had to ease her down a bit. She just motioned for him to go on, her eyes said that she was shocked, but believed in him.

"…well, Carl was in the town, and he mentioned Erika for whatever reason… and people just started whispering to each other, and he was told that if he had something to do with that girl he must stop that right away, otherwise, God knows what may happen… he obviously didn't believe in them, but calmed everyone down with saying that 'Van Helsing is still here'. It's like I was almighty." Gabriel shrugged.

"Can we get rid of her somehow?" Anna found her tongue. She remembered noticing a few things… and that drink, she never was too much out of the count, but it made her sleep like a baby… "I feel so stupid. I _have_ noticed something strange too..."

"I don't think that getting rid of her is going to be simple." Gabriel took her hand. "Soon, people will find out she's still with us, and I'm afraid it may lead to a bad case, even though you're their beloved princess…"

"Oh."

"She still has no idea we know about her… well, Carl still doesn't. But she will understand that soon. And living with a witch is never a good thing…"

Anna tried to make out the mess that her mind has turned into during these few minutes. "What if… if she's a good witch?"

"Believe me, Anna, she isn't." Van Helsing whispered.

"What should we do?" Anna knew the answer, but hoped there was another way…

"We must leave, as soon as possible. Preferably tomorrow."


	8. Leaving is never easy

**Chapter 8**

Anna swore silently. She was used to dressing alone (she couldn't remember when it has been the last time she needed help in doing this by a maid - it has been many years ago) , but it was hard to do that by the light of one single candle. She tried her best not to tangle her fingers in all the bands and strings of the corset… it appeared that she was doing that forever. But she enjoyed it, after all, it kept her from thinking… until she has tightened the corset so much that it has made her torso hurt and it took a great strength to breathe, but then she realised she couldn't torture herself that much… and had to re-do it.

Just as she was finally done dressing, Van Helsing entered her room silently. Anna turned her head to his side and glared at him.

"Who do you think you are? You should at least knock before entering a lady's room! I just finished dressing!" she uttered, giving him an awry smile, but her eyes held no bad emotions.

"Sorry," Gabriel replied and smiled, "I can go out and come in again, this time with a knock, if you wish." His eyes were now locked to Anna's.

She laughed, the smile on her face soon giving place to confusion. "What? What are you staring at?"

"Nothing, I was already starting to forget how you look dressed up like that," he grinned.

"Don't tease me, I can't stand it…" she spoke, remembering something what has made her last drop of joy disappear. "Did you tell Carl already? How did he react?" her voice turned to a whisper. Suddenly she realised it was not going to be easy.

Van Helsing came closer to her. "I did… you should have seen his face!" Gabriel pulled a wry face, trying to make Anna smile by the light of nature.

It didn't work.

"I can imagine…" the princess replied bitterly, keeping her eyes away from his. She instantly felt a wave of sadness coming directly to her heart.

Van Helsing placed his hand on her shoulder, and Anna winced, closing her eyes. She didn't want him to see her sad again, however, she felt it would be much harder if he wasn't beside her this moment.

He knew how she felt. _Leaving your home… the place you always belonged at… _He didn't remember when – or if – he had a place he could call home. It was always running, always chasing, and he never stayed in one place for such a long time that he could call it home. But having a home was something he always dreamed about – not spending all of his life in one place, but having a place to come back to…

"When are we leaving?" – Anna whispered, almost succeeding in making her voice sound in its usual way.

However, Gabriel noticed the barely noticeable change of intonation in her voice, but didn't know if it meant what he thought it did.

"In a few minutes… are you ready?" he spoke silently.

"I guess…" she smiled scarcely, when Van Helsing handed her her sword. Yet her eyes were sad, as if she was to start crying. She softly touched the blade of the sword, as if hoping that this small gesture would ease her pain a little bit.

Gabriel caught her glance. The moment her eyes met his, Anna turned her look away from him.

"I think I'd prefer if we left right away." she backed off a sigh.

Van Helsing took her hand. "I know what it takes for you to make this step, Anna. You don't have to hide your emotions… If I – if I had a home and would be forced to leave it… I would feel no better than you do now.

_No way._ He was close to making her all teary again. "This isn't… I'm not…" her voice was now shaking, but she tried her best to ignore it. A single tear rolled down her cheek. "I was never away from my town… It's all so dear to me – the trees, the clouds, the people, and- - she felt the lump in her throat. – "even the air that I'm breathing, do you know what I mean?"

Gabriel nodded. It was hurting him to see Anna in such a state, he would have given anything to make her feel better, but he didn't know what could help.

"And yet-" - her voice now became virulent – "I hate this place… I had always wanted to leave, to get away… from all of the evil down here, from all of the darkness surrounding us whether it is day or night, from the people who only care about how to save themselves…"

Anna's voice broke, her eyes instantly searching for Gabriel's, only to turn hers away once more. She kept fighting the natural wish to let her feelings out, and was rather successful with it - until Van Helsing came up to her and embraced her without a word. The princess could not even glare at him, suddenly realising it was his intention to make her express her feelings. In tears or sobs, if necessary.

_Cry, cry, Anna… If only that makes you feel better…_

"How can you even bear with me?" The princess gave Gabriel a questioning look, but didn't really expect to get an answer, quick to. "If you do this but one more time, I will have to re-think some things..." Her voice suggested she wanted to make him believe she was not happy about it. He has made her look and feel heartbroken - and the princess had no right to be so.

"Of course,_ princess_. I will try to keep away from touching you from now on," he grinned at her, receiving a glare back. His tactics has worked, as it should have.

Soon they heard a knock on the door. Anna awarded her companion with a thankful smile, unable to be angry at him for helping her.

Carl came in. "Shall we go now?" he asked, noticing Anna's face was darker than usual, but it was too dark for him to see that it was red from tears.

"Don't worry, Anna… at least we will be safe away from here." Carl said the only thing that came to his mind, feeling it meant a lot for the princess.

"You're right… Let's go." – she smiled, regaining her previous state. She was finally realising that something was, and will always be, different in her life – she was no longer alone.


	9. Now truth, now lie, now you, now I

**Chapter 9**

"We are now both all alone, Anna." Gabriel didn't know why he said that, while they were coming down the stairs. Anna was lost in her own thoughts and didn't feel like replying. But their friend did.

"You two have each other! What about me?"

Both Anna and Gabriel turned to each other for a second.

"We-"

Anna interrupted Van Helsing, smiling slightly at Carl. "Well, it's your own fault that you chose this way of living. You could simply-"

"As if I didn't know." He screw up his face, and the three started to laugh.

Suddenly, Anna froze.

She _knew_ what was coming next.

"May I know where you three are going?" The silent voice they heard could only belong to one person.

_Damn it. Erika._

Anna was the first to react. "Oh- we are going for a night-walk… I couldn't sleep." She managed to smile, as if saying the most artless thing in the world. Although she felt that saying this paltry little lie wasn't the best thing to do... The waft of the cold piercing wind sort of endorsed all that she was thinking. Anna suddenly remembered the light clothes she was wearing.

Carl shivered, as if reading her thoughts.

"Yes, we thought Anna needed some fresh air," he joined. Any other time, they would have laughed at their friend's facial expression. But not this time...

Van Helsing remained silent. Anna laid her hand on the hilt of her sword.

Erika yawned. "Why didn't you tell me?" She was acting in her usual way, and for a little moment Carl thought that all this thing was nothing but a joke.

"We thought you were sleeping." Gabriel replied, his tone frigid. He hated lying; in fact, it was something he wasn't good at. The thought that this girl may have something against them has never desolated his mind.

"I see…" Erika turned her head slightly.

"Aren't they lying, Gabriel?"

_She never called me by name before._

Gabriel has never cared about pretending. _We should end this as soon as possible._

"The only one who is lying is you, lady."

Anna threw him a warning glance, but he didn't notice.

"What do you mean?" she asked, and then noticed Anna's sword. _So this is not "a walk"…_

"Oh." She grinned. "So you found out? Then there's no reason in pretending, as Gabriel likes to say."

Van Helsing narrowed his eyes. The new thought occupied his mind, the thought that she knew him, and he knew her. In every passing second, he felt it more and more, and then suddenly he knew.

_Sigrún…_

Knowing the figure, Gabriel felt much calmer. She was impertinent and obsessive, and she was dangerous in some cases. But she could never-

An old memory came to the head of the little witch.

"_Witch! Witch! Witch!"_

"_Burn her! Kill her!"_

_She was laughing out loud at them, at all the silly people, who were obsessed with the moronic idea that they could kill her. They did not know what she could do. She could simply make them disappear. _

_It was forbidden, she knew. And she didn't want to end up like her mother did, no way._

_But I could simply make _Anna_ disappear._

She blinked, realising where she was.

_No, I don't like to be drastic._

"Is it my fate that I always meet you on my way? And why do you pretend to be somebody else? Now I am not really sure if Sigrún is your real name, or have you been lying to me all the time then, too?"

"Yes, I _am_ a part of your fate," she rolled her eyes, "and yes, that is my real name. Beautiful, isn't it?" The words were followed by laughter. "Why do I pretend? And did I have another choice? You forbade me to ever come nearby you again, remember?"

Anna and Carl only stood there staring at their "conversation", not sure what to do or say.

"Yes, I do remember. What do you want from me this time?" He gave her another question. "And please, now that we know who you are, can you retrieve your usual appearance? You look ridiculous this way."

"You like it, don't you?" she grinned.

In a blink of an eye, the little girl was gone, and a young woman of somewhat sharp features was standing in front of Gabriel. She wasn't pretty overall – short red hair didn't exactly fit with the piercing eyes darker than anything Anna could remember seeing… but none of the three could have said that she did not have some inscrutability about her.

"And now… why don't you introduce me to your friends?" she suggested, an awry smile never leaving her face.

"Anna, Carl, this is Sigrún." Gabriel gestured. All he wanted was that woman…that_ creature_ to get out of their sight as soon as possible. But at first he had to know the actual reason of her coming. Maybe, just maybe she no longer had those abhorrent ideas...

"Tell me, what do you want?"

"Oh, nothing… I only wanted to see how you are doing, and to make sure that you aren't occupied, so that I get a chance."

"What?" Gabriel knew what she meant. He knew what she wanted, and he knew _that_ was the reason of her arrival, his hopes of her coming having some other purpose instantly fading away.

"You know what I mean, I know that you do."

"I have told you more that once… You are not on my list, witch. You aren't even my friend. And now that I found out you were pretending and playing with the feelings of the ones I love-

"Oh." She stopped. "You didn't lie, did you?" Sigrún-Erika aimed the question at Carl, who was following her, a blend of confusion and rising consternation visible on his face.

The witch thought it best to make herself clear. "I am not on your list, because _she_ is?"

All of a sudden, Anna felt the cold wind piercing right through her heart. Was that magic, or was that the wind?


	10. Blackout

**Chapter 10**

_What the hell?_ Anna pressed her chilly fingers to her right temple, biting her lip. Something was happening within her head. She could not say what exactly it was… but it was worse than a simple headache. She felt – no, she saw – or thought that she could see it - everything around her disappearing… _slowly, slowly… _She felt a desperate need to hug someone. Or, at least, to touch something, anything, a tree or a wall. She took a deep breath. It appeared as though somebody was deleting something from her mind… The very next moment she realised what was happening and that she could do nothing about it-

Gabriel threw a quick glance to Anna, who suddenly swung her desperate look at the ground. He noticed something was wrong with her, and sprang up to her side suddenly, forgetting both Sigrún and Carl:

"Are you well?"

"…no," she brought out and collapsed on the cobbles.

Gabriel instantly sent the witch the look that no human could endure...But the red-haired sorceress now appeared to be very busy studying her palm-lines.

But she could not fool the one who knew her better than anybody else…

For a moment, everyone stood still.

"Anna!" Gabriel pressed his hand to her neck. The pulse wasn't gone.

"What have you done to her?" Van Helsing exclaimed, in a fluster.

The witch shrugged, smiling fixedly. "I didn't want to do that, but-"

"What!"

"I did her a favour." She winked.

"What favour?" Carl and Gabriel exclaimed in unison.

"You'll see… Don't worry, she will be fine, I assure you!" the witch grimaced, and blew a kiss to Gabriel. "I'm sorry, I really enjoy your company, but I have some unfinished business in my beloved Iceland. That's where I will be, if you need to find me."

Both of the guys followed her figure until it could no longer be seen.

"Flew away. She _flew _away!" Can you believe that?" Carl shouted.

"I can, it's not the first time. And I'm afraid it's not the last either. Now I'm much more worried about-

"…Anna." The friar gasped. "She's gone."

* * *

Gabriel closed his eyes for a moment. "I should have known something like this was going to happen!"

Carl didn't know what to say. "Calm down, my friend, there's nothing we can do! You'll have to forget her, just like many times before... you can do that, can't you?"

Van Helsing threw him a frightening glance. "Perhaps there is nothing _you _can do. But I am not going to let this happen, _not again_!" His voice was stiff, tone certain. A once forgotten memory came back to him, and he heaved a sigh.

"What are you talking about? I thought I knew everything about you!"

"Nobody knows everything about me, not even I myself," he whispered, and motioned to Carl. "Are you coming with me?"

"Where?" Carl was confused.

"To Iceland…" he encountered the shocked sight of the friar. "She... _they_ will be waiting for us."

* * *

Sigrún threw a short angry glance at Anna, who was lying peacefully on the bed.

_I can see why you fell in love with her. She's beautiful. She's brave. And she's clever._

_Just like you._

She glanced to the mirror and winced. The hellcat really hated what she saw. _I look so much like her now… So much like your Anna! _Her face furrowed again, as she heard the princess sighing in her sleep.

_Forgive me, mother. Forgive me, Gabriel. I don't know, I'm not sure where this will lead. I'm not sure of anything anymore, but I will try… And this try will make you suffer, I swear! _One tear of anger rolled down her cheek.

_Why am I doing this? What will I get?_

She really hoped that her plan was going to work… In fact, somewhere deep inside, she knew that it will. And that knowing, that conviction has made her sad, really sad… _You will never be mine…_

Many different thoughts were burning in her head. Sometimes she wanted to stop. To stop hurting everyone around her, to forget about her powers and abilities and just be like everyone else… But she could not. _It's in my blood… I HATE my blood. I hate you, mother. _On the other hand, she enjoyed being_ bad_, as those dark humans had named it. Many times she tried to figure her inner self, but she couldn't… She had to pretend, she was pretending all the time. Otherwise, nobody would have accepted her the way she was…

_And here it comes again._

"Anna." She smiled to the princess, who opened her eyes slowly. Anna blinked a few times, and looked around.

"My dear, how do you feel? I was really worried about you!" _The play begins now..._

Anna smiled back to the strange form before her. "Hello…" Suddenly she realised she knew nothing about the place around her… neither about the person standing before her eyes. "I feel- dizzy. Yes, I feel a little bit dizzy." She couldn't think at all.

"Is that all? Are you sure you're alright? Oh my, why are you looking at me this way? Do you remember me?" Sigrún hated what she was doing, but she knew she had no right to make even one single mistake now…

A strange thought run through Anna's head.

_I know nothing! I remember _nothing! She looked at her hands, panic taking all over her. "Excuse me… what were you saying?"

"Do you remember anything?"

Anna blinked, both startled and confused. "Nothing… I remember nothing." She whispered.

"No, I can't believe it!" the hag exclaimed, trying her best to hide the joy inside her. "What is your name, tell me? What is the name of the one you love?"

"I…" Anna shook her head, pouting insensibly. "I can't say! I know nothing, nothing!" She closed her eyes, feeling a wave pf panic overtaking her. Her mind was empty…

Sigrún hugged her. "Shhh… I will help you to remember everything… I love you more than anything, my dearest sister…"


	11. Preparation

**Chapter 11**

Anna was sitting down before the window. The sun was shining bright as always, but she was already getting used to it… It has been more than a month since she was brought here, and Anna was almost happy with this place, as she could spend time in the room without being interrupted by anyone - Sigrún hardly ever came to see her. Anna learned quickly that the Icelandic sun could give you light which could burn your eyes, but its beams would never give you any warmth. She did not expect for it, however, because it was a severe winter…

Anna took a book to her hands. There were many books in her room, most of them were fictional love novels, nearly all of which made her sick; yet when she had asked for her 'sister' for something different, she had been told that this kind of literature was something she had loved to read before… and there was nothing else to do, so Anna opened yet another book, hoping for it to be particular…

"I can't take this anymore," she spoke quietly after almost five minutes of reading, and placed it on the broad windowsill, nearby some other books which were either quite interesting or, on the contrary, nothing to make a song about.

She closed her eyes, plunging in her thoughts…

So many questions were left unanswered. She hated all that. She hated the emptiness in her head... and in her heart, hated the way her sister talked to her, hated the fact she was almost never allowed to go outside, because she was told she had some particular illness… _All this is unsupportable._

* * *

_"Anna, wake up! We are going to have visitors!"_

She opened her eyes slowly, to see Sigrún standing before her. "What? Why?"

"Come, you need to dress up!" To Anna, Sigrún seemed deliriously happy. And the look in her eyes... Anna could swear she saw something insane in them.

"What for?" Anna did not fully perceive what was happening, until she was marched to the room she had always been wondering about – the room of her sister. It wasn't much of a room – the place reminded her more of a cellar… but it had some inscrutable charm, which increased as Sigrún lit up the candles. Anna liked the place even more because of the difference it had from the room she stayed at.

"Come, look what I have for you!" Anna turned her head to see a dress… an evening dress, which seemed extremely extravagant – it was long, scarlet red and made from the finest silk.

She didn't even try to hide her surprise. "Are you asking of me to wear _this_?"

"Yes, I do…" Sigrún awarded her sister with a sweet smile. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"It is… but I don't think I would feel comfortable wearing that. What kind of visitors are they, to deserve such welcome?" Anna was surprised at the irony she heard in her own voice. There had never been any visitors at this place before… or she simply did notnow that, spending most of the days in her dusty room upstairs and wishing for the night to come sooner…

"You will see," she helped Anna to dress up, and led her to the huge mirror which has served mostly as means to make the tiny room look bigger. "I'm sure you will like it. _Or, more likely, I will. _The thought of Gabriel seeing her and learning she did not remember him made her smile."We need to fix your hair now."

"I can do that myself, thank you…" Anna nearly spat the words at her, not knowing where the anger was coming from. Maybe it was the weird new feeling in her, that did not allow her to concentrate? Or was it the heavy odour of frankincense?

"Don't be so harsh," the sorceress rolled her eyes. "I want to help you. I need you to look breathtaking tonight, please?"

"Oh, whatever." She couldn't help but wondered who was going to come over. _Maybe that someone would stop this unbearable boredom for a while… _Anna followed the image in the mirror. Yes, she did look different. The dress was indeed rich, pointing up every single curve of her body. However, she had to agree that she did look beautiful in that dress.

And maybe even _breathtaking_.

But she did not feel comfortable in it. Neither did she feel comfortable being next to Sigrún. She always tried to chase such thoughts away, but deep inside she knew she would prefer to never see her sister again…

It was something about her she couldn't bear. Maybe that was one of the reasons why she hardly ever moved away from her room.

She once tried to write down her emotions on paper, but, scared of her own words, she never did that again. And this moment Anna remembered the things she had written...…

"_Every time I'm next to her I want to run away… I can't help but wonder, who is she? What is that between us? How comes that she's my sister, my family, my blood? If I could, I would run away from her and would never come back… it appears that she is trying to cast a spell on me, to change me, to make me somebody that I'm not…"_

"Amazing," Anna heard Sigrún whispering to herself. She noticed only now that her sister was dressed up to the nines as well. But not half as in style as Anna was.

"We should be going," she said. "Come with me, they can be here any minute."

"Shouldn't you tell me anything about who is going to visit you?"

"You mean, who is going to visit _us_?"_ Us. _Anna hated that word. It was not the way it should be.

"Yes… although I don't know them… or would not remember anyway." Anna sighed, remembering her invidious state.

"I'm sure they_ do_ remember you. At least one of them. But I need to warn you – do _not_ believe in whatever they say…"

"Wh-

"I think they're here!"

Anna was led to the lobby in few seconds, just in time to see the door opening.


	12. And once again

**Chapter 12**

Sigrún was right.

_All you have to do is to believe in your presentiment… and then soon it will become an undeniable reality. _She grinned.

Van Helsing and Carl were standing in the doorway, expecting for some objectionable surprise. However, neither of them was too surprised by the young woman standing by the door, looking nothing like Sigrún, but much like Anna… Gabriel rolled his eyes. There was at least one spell she could not do right - he knew Sigrún could not change her actual height, which has not provided her with many possibilities, such as granting her the chance to blind the humans with her incomparable beauty and make use of them the way she needed to. Instead, she had to take up the body of a child. It was but her luck that Gabriel had not considered the possibility when unknowingly inviting her to help this- this _Anna_.

"You won't fool us again, Sigrún…" Carl said, feeling uneasy, for he wasn't sure about what he said. He glanced at Gabriel, waiting for support, but he was too concerned to notice that.

"Why don't you just become yourself again?" Van Helsing asked. "I expected something like this cheap trick from you..." He knew that was the most basic spell every witch had to learn... and he could not back away the idea she was too lazy to come with something more creative.

"Welcome back. I can't do it right now, as I don't want to spoil everything", she grinned, - "But it's nice to see you two again," she uttered sweetly. The smile that Sigrún gave, however, was only aimed at Gabriel. "I have been waiting for you. I'm not sure about Anna, though," she added, already satisfied with the upcoming result. "I don't think that she remembers you, after all."

_She hadn't. _Van Helsing backed off. The very next moment he realised what the witch might have done to Anna… It was not the first time. Still, he was worried, not knowing how bad the situation was.

"Now would you tell us where she is?" Carl asked cautiously. He knew that he'd better not allow his friend speak, for he seemed to be ready to murder Sigrún at any moment. And she saw that, too. For a moment she wasn't sure anymore if her plan was going to work.

"Oh. She's well enough, I can assure you, come with me." She glanced at Van Helsing. "Don't worry; I'm not in the mood for more surprises right now."

She led them to the salon. Gabriel knew this place well. _Too well… _Several memories flashed up in his mind, but were immediately gone-

_Anna_!

She turned to their side and nodded politely, not even looking their way- "Good evening, I'm sorry for not greeting you by the door. I don't feel too well…" _Could all of this get any worse?_

Gabriel caught her look. _Anna! Don't you remember me? _

Anna could not bear that stare; something was so familiar in it… _so familiar… _She could not get her eyes off him. The look she gave him was meant to be simple, but Gabriel thought he saw something more in it- until the conversation of their eyes was interrupted by the witch.

"Anna, this is Van Helsing." Anna breathed it suddenly, once again seized by the feeling of familiarity. "And this is Carl." _I know them from somewhere, I do! _

"Nice to meet you," she did her best to seem unaffected by their visit. _Did I really miss seeing people so much? I feel so strange- _

"And this is Anna. My sister."

The friar was stunned. Gabriel threw him a calming glance, and all the three of them fixed their eyes on Anna. _Is it really as bad as I thought? – _Van Helsing knew that if Anna was undoubtedly sure about it, if Sigrún had convinced her – which he was almost sure about, knowing the other side of the princess and the abilities of the witch - there was no way to make her believe the truth. He was already beginning to panic. _We did such a long way, and what for? Only to find that she is now someone else, and happy with it! _

Anna blinked and shrugged. "_She says _that I am her sister… But what do I know?" she lifted her eyes, not wanting to meet the frightening sight of Sigrún – the princess was already sure about her reaction – "I remember nothing!" the last words sounded anything but resigned. Without realising it, Anna has filled them with emotions suggesting the opposite of what Sigrún would have liked.

Van Helsing smiled insensibly, feeling a weight on his heart melting. It was something he had secretly been hoping for to happen._ Anna…_

Sigrún felt the assurance in her quickly fading. _Why is she acting like that? I have done so much for her… I hate her… _She remembered only now, that Anna was hardly ever kind or friendly with her - _She avoids me all the time! _She couldn't remember any time when Anna was talking with her more than necessary… _Maybe only at the very beginning of my play, but… I can't let everything die now! I have wasted so much of my life on _this!

Suddenly she realised some of her mistakes. _I shouldn't have… I should have at least told her some stories from her past…_

Sigrún felt that she might not be able to keep all of this for long… She understood even more – the feeling that she had done something wrong was not going to disappear. Seeing Van Helsing right before her, she only managed to make a helpless gesture.

"This high tension is killing me." Carl attempted to be funny.

"You're not the only one," Anna sighed, turning her eyes away from Van Helsing and Sigrún. "It's all just wrong. Do you mind telling me who exactly you two are? And why are you here? Because you see, she – Anna motioned to Sigrún – never found the time to explain this to me."

"Well, actually…" Carl thought for a second. "We played some part in your life. I am a friar, and he is… Are you sure that you don't remember?" his voice fell silent, as he met her somehwhat mistrusting look.


	13. Roundabout

**Chapter 13**

Anna closed her eyes, thinking about a way to express the indefinable confusion in her head and memory, caused by meeting the new arrivals. "I…don't know." She got flustered. The feeling of obscurity infuriated her more and more every passing moment, and still she could feel that there was some kind of relation between her and those two men. Carl could read very well from her eyes that she wasn't content with his question.

"All right… I'm sorry, Anna, we did not want to make you feel uneasy," Carl tried to cover his own uneasiness with a smile. Anna looked up, as if waiting for something that could get her out of that unpleasant situation.

"Of course she doesn't remember!"

Everybody turned to the sorceress. She appeared to be a little confused. And she was, for she obviously didn't mean the phrase to sound the way it did – full of desperation and anger. However, pushing aside the understanding of her mistake, she smiled.

"Haven't I told you? She doesn't remember anything." Like in most cases, Sigrún was only addressing Gabriel, ignoring the fact that the question was given by Carl.

She then came up to Anna and placed a hand on her shoulder. The princess stepped away instantly.

"Is something wrong?" Sigrún asked, unsuccessfully trying to hide her irritation.

"Not at all," Anna avoided meeting her _sister's _glance. "I just don't like when you speak for me." She concentrated her attention on the guests. "Isn't it clear? I can't recall a single thing from my past. A bit ironic, isn't it?" She smiled at Gabriel and Carl rather coldly, trying to appear indifferent to them. "Therefore, I am sorry, if we were… or are… related in any way, I expect that you or my sister would tell me." She concluded her short speech with a smile and addressed Sigrún again. "Now, will you tell me who they are?"

Carl trembled insensibly at the words said by the princess. _I can't believe it_.

"I will," the witch replied, feeling it would be better for her to postpone the moment a bit more. "But would you mind leaving us three for a moment?"

"Not at all." Anna gave them a small smile, realising she was beginning to feel weary of all the tension in the room. "If you need me, you know where to find me," she motioned to her room and then left, somehow hastily. A strange idea came to her mind - it was as if Sigrún did not want her to actually find out who the two men were.

When going upstairs, Anna felt that her supposed coldness was suddenly washed away by a wave of despair, and she felt two small tears running down her pale face. But those weren't tears of sorrow. She knew very well what kind of tears those were. They were the result of some kind of an inner despair which she could never completely get away from ever since she was there in Iceland. She has never asked her _sister _where they were from originally, but it was clear to her that Iceland was not her native land. That ought to have meant it neither was Sigrún's, or...

Anna tried her best to get away from her thoughts, as they only enhanced the intolerable mixture of unpleasant feelings within her. _Am I to stay in this situation forever? I hate, I hate this… _She sat down on the stairs and took several deep breaths - she had to calm down before coming back to the room with guests.

* * *

"Now that she's away… It was, or, rather, it is - an excellent idea, isn't it?" Sigrún grinned, after waiting for a while to be sure Anna was already too far to hear them.

"I never had doubts about what you can do," Gabriel wasn't giving out a single sign of emotion, although he knew this could drive Sigrún mad. _As if she wasn't mad right now. _"But why do you never leave me alone? You want to take some part in my life, no matter how and what?"

"Of course," the witch replied. "You never seem to understand that-

"-that I cannot possibly live without you, that you are everything I could ever need, right?" Gabriel was not trying to stop the heavy sarcasm dripping from his words.

"Something like that." Sigrún hated that Gabriel always knew how to depreciate everything she said, so she tried changing the subject. "Don't you think you two need some rest after such a long trip?"

But Van Helsing no longer felt like himself. "What for?" He realised he had nothing to lose, as he felt the witch wouldn't dare to do anything to him. "You know very well why we're here."

Carl shrugged, beginning to feel uneasy. He couldn't understand why Gabriel did not simply kill her instead of taking part in this, to his mind, conversation of no value - after all, that was the method that he used to put into practice before. _You might get_ _us into a huge trouble… _He threw him an anxious glance, which was ignored.

"Of course. But that's how I am, I can't help that the people I hate the most are usually by your side," Sigrún replied bitterly.

"You seem to hate all the people that are, or were- were dear to me," Gabriel tried to defy the sudden wave of remembrance that came over him.

His grave look changed instantly, for he saw Anna entering the room. She glanced at them and pressed a finger to her lips, finding that Sigrún wasn't aware of her presence, and smiled to him, feeling rather uncomfortable.

The sorceress seemed neither to hear Gabriel's last remark nor to see Anna entering the room, so she continued: "So I have to take care of them, one way or another… After all, I have never killed anyone."

"You have never killed anyone… just because you were too afraid."

The witch trembled at his words-

She realised he was right.

Gabriel's icy voice was opposite to a calming glance that he gave to Anna, but she, instead of giving out her real emotions, parried his look coldly, shrugged and turned away. _What is all of this about? _Taking part in this scene was a real torment for her. _I shouldn't have come here._

"How dare you have doubts of my power!.." Despair in her voice was interlacing with rage. "You… you have had more than one chance to see what I can do! And this – she pointed at Anna, who was beginning to forebode something and got closer to Carl intuitively - isn't good enough for you?"

Anna coughed, obviously disturbed. _If only I knew what's happening here…_

Sigrún, remembering where she was, directed attention to the princess, giving her a smile that made Anna turn her eyes away.

"I might have been afraid! I might have… But you know… there must be a first time for everything!"


	14. A first time for everything

"_I might have been afraid! I might have… But you know… there must be a first time for everything!"_

**Chapter 14**

These words did sound threatening, at least to Carl. The friar immediately found himself next to Anna. Sigrún smiled to herself, noticing Carl was crossing the princess. However, she could not see nor feel what Anna had in mind, and that apprehension has made her feel uneasy. _It is Anna who should feel this uneasiness__! All the time that she's here I but feel miserable! _Throwing another glance at Gabriel, she closed her eyes and tried hard to come to herself again. She could never have thought it would be so hard for her to keep the play going.

Suddenly she felt somebody's cold hand on her bare shoulder. Before she could get away, Sigrún heard a familiar voice. Gabriel.

"You surely don't mean what you say? Calm down and don't frighten your _sister_," – it was Gabriel who interrupted her thoughts. The accentuation of the last word, and the tone in which he spoke have made her shudder.

Sigrún opened her eyes instantly, only to hear him continuing with another observation. "I feel so sorry for you. You know very well that you will not earn my respect by hurting the ones I love-" Gabriel couldn't help but cast a glance at the princess, who looked back at him with such intensity, that now it was his turn to shudder. But the weird feeling was immediately gone, for Anna, trying to conceal her confusion, turned her eyes away, quickly stepping away from Carl and focusing her look on a candle. _It's all too strange, too confusing… _"May I light it?" she said to Sigrún, pointing to it. Not waiting for an answer, she lit it up, not noticing her fingers were trembling – she came up with an idea.

"I can see something is wrong here, but as long as it has nothing to do with me…" Anna said, casting a prolonged glance at Carl and Gabriel, as if waiting for an approval. The very next moment, seeing the changing emotions on their faces, she understood it was a reasonable step to take – she had no more doubts that she indeed was somehow related with them. _Well begun is half done_, she cast down her eyes and smiled to herself insensibly. But the smile did not take away the tension within her – she sighed heavily, only then lifting up her eyes and noticing Gabriel who was now standing beside her.

"Is everything fine with you, Anna?" he asked in a low voice, not wanting for Sigrún to hear him. The witch appeared to be completely indifferent to what was happening, deeply affected by the words Gabriel had told her. _Respect… what's the use of it? I want different things – why can't you love me as you love her? The way you loved them- the ones you have lost?_ _I swear – you will lose _this one_ as well! And any other woman, until you realise I'm the one for you… _

Anna appeared as if awoken from a gloomy dream. "Why, yes." She looked at him – he was so close - and backed away, the sudden apprehension overtaking her. This man – Gabriel - he was more than just a relation to her! _Do I… love him?_

"Anna! Are you sure about it?" He seized her hand, afraid that she might fall. The princess was no longer certain. "I… don't know… I think it would be better for me to sit down." She allowed him to lead her, but avoided meeting his eyes – she felt completely at a loss, but at the same time did not want to appear as someone utterly helpless. Gabriel gave a small smile to Anna and motioned to Carl to come and look after her - he noticed Sigrún, who was following the action going on.

"What's happening here? Did I miss something?" Her voice was full of desperation she tried to disguise unsuccessfully.

Anna stood up and smiled at the witch rather playfully, thus confusing her completely. "What do you expect to happen here? Among me and the two men I hardly know?" Seeing the questioning look in her eyes, she continued, returning to a serious tone. "For a moment I got a feeling of dizziness… There's nothing to worry about, really." She smiled at Gabriel and Carl, not even looking at them, and fixed her eyes on the candle she had lit.

"Explain it all to her, won't you?" Gabriel spoke, addressing the sorceress, who appeared to be lost.

His words were followed by a look which the witch tried to ignore. Gabriel felt that Sigrún couldn't do anything for him – if she had wanted it, she could have done it many times before… It was Anna he was worried about. He turned his eyes at her, seeing how much her dress resembled the one she wore when dancing at the party with that being- Dracula... Suppressing his memories, he grinned slightly, giving Sigrún a disdainful look. _She is but a child, that witch…_

Sigrún, noticing his look, thought for a moment that Gabriel didn't know what to do. But this didn't last for more than a mere instant, for Gabriel spoke again - he suddenly remembered that it was dangerous for them, especially for Anna, to stay there any longer. But he couldn't simply take her away. After all, Anna was now _someone else_._ She doesn't remember anything, and yet… I could swear that she does._

"You must keep in mind that I'm supported by Rome," he continued, following her glance and at the same time moving closer to Anna, who turned her eyes towards him, feeling everything was much more complicated than it appeared to be when the two weren't here.

"As you know, they don't support people like you," Gabriel tried to restrain his thoughts. It was a hard thing to do, for he never liked to mention the people he was working for, but he knew he had no other choice. "They might proclaim they don't use _the methods_ anymore-" Gabriel continued, turning his eyes away when he noticed how his words made the witch quiver. "Help us, and we will help you… There must be a first time for everything – what about something nice?

Gabriel took her by the hand, giving her an imploring look, or so the sorceress believed. The witch felt an unknown feeling overtaking her – a mixture of fear, love and reconcile. _Why do I always lose? Why can't I be as a normal witch should?_ Suddenly feeling terribly tired, she felt she was ready to yield to his words. "What do _you_ want from me?" She found it funny - wasn't that the question he had given her back in Transylvania?

"Please, make things as they were… and bring her back home," Gabriel fixed his look at Sigrún.

"Bring _her _back home, restore her memory… I can do that, and I will – I'm already sick of playing this stupid game-" She looked at Anna. "For the first time ever I will be glad to lose a relative."

Suddenly she remembered something. "Of course, I will also bring you two home. If we ever meet again… remind me to say that I'm sorry!"


	15. At last

**Chapter 15**

"Wait! That's not all," the sorceress took the friar by the hand. Obviously surprised, he turned to her. Understanding his puzzlement, she continued, smiling at him tiredly. "You see, you three cannot simply be sent home at once. Of course, your travel home won't last more than a few minutes, but the things you are to see or hear can drive you mad, for the trip you are to take is not an ordinary thing." Carl backed off in shock, his vivid imagination not helping him to look at the matter coldly.

Sigrún, seeing the reaction, hurried to explain, this time turning to Gabriel, who was holding Anna's hand. "I am not to interfere between you two – I have no right, and no desire for it," she assured, meeting his warning glance. _I can never remove feelings from one's heart. Passion, mere liking - it's easy to change or remove that... But against love I am powerless._ "I was about to say that to avoid it you would have to drink a drop of a potion that would make you forget the trip in an instant after you are down on earth again." Seeing the mistrust in the faces of the men, she then turned to Anna. "My dearest Anna, you were a good sister, unlike me. What will you say?"

Anna looked at Gabriel, then to Carl. The two seemed frightened. "I do not know who you are," she said, fixing her eyes upon Sigrún. "I do not know whether I should trust you or not. After all, I still cannot remember anything." She spoke, accenting every word. Strangely enough for Sigrún, Anna's voice gave out absolutely nothing about her feelings or emotions. _They - she and Gabriel - are too similar.  
_

"The thing is that the memory is restored by a potion too. And it is dangerous to drink them one after the other. If you take the drop of the potion which restores memory now, and then the other, it wouldn't work. If you do it the other way around – you will forget the past five minutes, and after you drink the other, you will lose consciousness for an hour or so – I'm sorry if it doesn't please you," – these words were directed towards Gabriel, who gave her another warning glance – and after you wake up, you will remember everything, including the trip, so the warning of you going out of your mind would still remain… And I know at least one person who wouldn't like it…" The warning glance of Gabriel was immediately gone.

"So what do you suggest, if each way of drinking the potions is equally dangerous?" Gabriel spoke, successfully suppressing all traces of emotions in his voice, which made the witch roll her eyes before continuing.

"And what is not dangerous nowadays? Especially when it comes to the young, the beautiful and the wealthy?" The witch appeared not to notice the look he gave her. "There exists but one correct way of drinking them." She stopped and smiled to herself, as if wanting to tease them, then fixed her look on Anna. "But before I tell you this, I must know if you are ready for it. If not – there is still the possibility to travel by boat, you can travel the way people usually do. But at this time of the year it is, I dare say, even more dangerous than-" Her voice made everybody shudder, and for a moment Anna felt absolutely helpless.

"Anna?" Suddenly the princess felt everybody was looking at her. "What do you say?" Gabriel pressed her hand. Meeting the inquiring look of Sigrún, the supporting look of Carl, she took a deep breath and spoke. "Stop me if I'm wrong, but you–" – she looked at Gabriel, freeing her hand from his and turning her eyes away, not wanting him to see or feel the mixture of feelings that came over her – "and you-" she glanced at Carl. "If I got this right…" – Anna felt her voice was getting firmer with each word she said – "you two are here for me. To take me away, is it so?" Not allowing anyone interrupt her, she kept going. "I appreciate it. I love you both for it already." She smiled bitterly, still avoiding meeting the eyes of Gabriel, and therefore missing his passionate look towards her.

"So?" Sigrún was about to lose patience. "What is your decision?" She realised she wanted nothing more than to be left alone. _In the world where I belong._

"I agree. Tell me what I have to do." _I will do anything to get away from this wicked place. To learn who I really am. _Her tone was firm, and her look did not show anything – the princess knew well how to control herself. Her character still was the same.

_She is indeed brave, that princess._ "I will give you this potion, - the _sister_ pointed to a small blue bottle on the shelf. "That's the one that will make you all, for you all are to drink it," she turned to the men, not even trying to conceal her joy that everything was to be over soon, "to forget the horrors of the trip."

"Then there is another one," – she took another bottle identical to the previous one, but this one was marked with strange signs. "That's the one which you will have to drink," she looked at Anna, who still appeared unaffected by the things the witch was saying. "Take but a drop of it and you will fall unconscious-

"Sorry, this cannot be avoided, it's a part of the process! That's the only way, well, the only way I know, at least– She grinned, seeing Gabriel was not content with that. "But I assure you, - she said, turning back to Anna, - "this will make you remember everything. Too bad there are things, I believe, which you wouldn't like to remember."

"Wait." Carl finally found some words to say. "Isn't that the second way of which you spoke to us?"

"Absolutely."

"But then-

"Then there is yet another potion! Poor Anna, I'm sorry for you having to take so much of these. Three drops of different mixtures are quite much, knowing what effect they produce…" Sigrún did not deliberately expand on the subject, taking the third bottle from the shelf. It was the smallest, and it was red. "It is to be given her right after she wakes up, that is, when she can finally tell you that she remembers you. A drop, you can pour it in her tea, or wherever." She only addressed Gabriel, as always, but Carl was almost thankful for her of that. Anna also enjoyed being left out of the conversation – all she wished was for it all to end sooner.

"I have nothing more to say," Sigrún smiled to the three tiredly. "Shall we go?" She gave the marked bottle to Gabriel and the other two to Carl, neither of them objected, fearing no less than Sigrún herself did fear of being left alone again. Ignoring her feelings – _humane feelings_ – she gave them the last orders and watched them quickly disappear in the night.

* * *

"How comes she gave up her plans so easily?" Carl asked, not even turning to Gabriel, who was lost in his thoughts again. It was about time Anna to regain her consciousness, and he couldn't think about anything else.

At last he understood the friar was addressing him. "Who?" Sigrún? I cannot say, I begin to think it was a mistake to trust her."

"Be positive, my friend. We did what she told us to do; now we can only wait- Listen, I think I hear her coming!"

"I still can't understand why you made me stay so far away from her room!" Gabriel spoke, rising up and ready to go meet her – he could already hear her approaching.


	16. Still

**Chapter 16**

Opening her eyes and seeing all the familiar things around her Anna was overtaken by emotions. It gave her the feeling of finally being at home that made her want to cry, for she remembered everything perfectly well now – including the sad things. But it wasn't the sad things that brought tears to her eyes, and it certainly wasn't them she blamed for the feverish feeling she was overwhelmed with. A small red bottle and a cup of water on the table, she trembled. Rising, she took a note that she noticed at the very instant. Even without reading the note she knew what was written in it.

Anna recognised the handwriting at once, even though she had only seen it for a few times. _Of course, it isn't that hard to distinguish between two handwritings_. She smiled to herself.

'To Anna. Pour a small drop of the mixture into the water. Be strong.'

This "Be strong" was undoubtedly intended for calming her down, but it only sent shivers down her spine. Anna knew she could ignore the strange feeling, she knew she maybe shouldn't trust the "sister". But she did not want to delay. Carefully instilling a drop into the cup, she drank it, suddenly finding enough determination and strength within herself to do it, and enough mental force to omit the presentiment that this would not be good for her. _After all, I am here now. Alive and well._

Closing her eyes, the princess nevertheless expected the worst. Nothing happened, and soon her face was illuminated with a smile. _Thank you, Lord, thank you! _She wanted to thank everybody. To those she never knew, to those she loved, even to those she deep inside despised. To show them how grateful she was.

How overwhelmingly thankful she was to the one that has never left her mind.

Anna got up, smiling to herself in the huge mirror. She could see the traces of fatigue on her face, but her sparkling eyes cast all the other things into the shade.

Only when about to leave her room the princess realised she was still in that red evening dress. She smiled bitterly to herself, after hopelessly trying to find something more comfortable to wear. She could choose from thousands of variants, but nothing seemed suitable, so Anna changed nothing, knowing clothing was the last thing Gabriel or Carl could care about in this situation.

Sighing, she opened and closed the door with no sound, her pale hands trembling with excitement.

When downstairs, she stopped for a moment. Hearing the familiar voices, Anna trembled, suddenly feeling all in a fluster. Slowly approaching, the princess smiled to herself and came in, after knocking sort of timidly at the door.

For a moment both Carl and Gabriel were looking at her inquiringly, saying nothing. Anna sighed. She wanted to say so much, and yet she felt she could not.

"What is it?" Anna appeared to be distracted for a moment, but, seeing the two men were smiling, she smiled back to them. "Is something wrong, or-

"On the contrary," Carl stated.

Gabriel couldn't stop looking at her. _Nothing can be wrong now that you're here again_. "We are so happy," he added, catching her vagrant glance for a moment. The short meeting of her eyes assured him that she remembered everything. However, she appeared to be avoiding meeting his glance. It didn't take him long to see that her eyes were full of tears. _I really hope that these are tears of joy, Anna..._ Meeting his anxious glance, Anna hurried up to assure him she was all right. "I'm just too… excited," she gave him a small smile. "I don't know what to say. I am so thankful to you both, I… Oh… I think I'm about to cry!" Anna covered her face with her hands. Both the men couldn't escape the feeling that even this emotional gesture of hers was elegant.

_That's how one identifies a princess, _the friar smiled to himself. Incidentally looking down and noticing her bare feet, he shook his head. _Or at least this particular princess. _He gave a quick look to Gabriel, who had already noticed the same thing.

"What is it now?" Anna couldn't bear the looks.

"Are you sure you're all right? Maybe we should go to some different place?" Gabriel was beginning to worry again.

"I do remember everything, if you worry about that..." Anna smiled to them nearly imperceptibly. "How else could I have found you here in this room? I have also drunk the drop of the potion. It's just that I feel so strange-

"You don't feel well?" Both Gabriel and Carl inquired in unison.

"No! Yes, ah, I don't know! Why don't we leave this cold room? I'd prefer some lighter place, some place with a carpet," she pointed to her bare feet, giving a laugh. This calmed the men down a bit. "Let's just go to the dinning room, even if there be no food tonight," she smiled. "I'll be right back." Feeling her eyes were swimming with tears, she smiled at them and quickly disappeared.

"What was that?" Carl looked inquiringly at Gabriel.

Gabriel shrugged. "She isn't a simple person. She's a princess."

"And?" Carl didn't seem to understand.

"Being a friar, you can't really understand a woman, can you?" Gabriel said that in a jesting tone, immediately changing into a rather demure tone of speaking. "Any woman, or any man, actually," Gabriel sighed, trying not to smile seeing Carl trying to understand such a simple thing, "doesn't like when anyone – well, nearly anyone – sees their tears. Especially a princess."

"Ah. I see," the friar gave him a confident smile, believing to have penetrated everything. "And you are the one who is not included in the "anyone" category, right?" Carl smiled to Gabriel, his eyes sparkling. "For I don't remember ever seeing her tears. And you, having spent so much time with her, certainly did, eh?"

The nearly irritating curiosity of his friend made Gabriel sigh. Fortunately, the princess reappeared. "Ask her," Gabriel motioned towards her slightly, fixing his sight on her feet that were not bare anymore.

"Why aren't you going?" Anna seemed to have regained all of her poise. There were no strains of tears on her face, and for a moment Carl thought his friend just made it all up. But seeing the way Gabriel and Anna looked at each other, he realised there was at least one thing he was right about.


	17. Lost and found

**Chapter 17**

Carl didn't get a chance to think about that any longer, because Anna turned towards him.

"Are you going? Or do you prefer staying here?" The princess smiled at him, but her twitchy tone apparently betrayed that she wanted to get away from the room as soon as possible.

"No, let's go." Gabriel was about to take her by the hand, but Anna smiled sweetly at him, giving him an apologising glance, and moved on, as if not wanting him to touch her. Van Helsing could see something was wrong. Seeing how rapidly she left the room, Gabriel, trying to push all the suppositions away, followed her anxiously.

"I'll go find something to eat." Carl said to himself, noticing that neither of the two cared about him anymore.

Anna entered the room rapidly. She really hoped that all the candles would make her feel more at ease, but they didn't. _What's happening to me? _

That was the question that continued to tingle in her head when Gabriel came in. It gave her a start, even though she knew he would come. The princess turned her head towards him, and smiled uncertainly. Meeting his questioning glance, she turned her eyes away, breathing heavily. _I love him. And he is here now, and I do nothing! _Struck by her realisation, Anna closed her eyes, as if refusing to believe things were the way they were.

Gabriel shrugged, and began to speak gently, his voice, however, sounding wounded and carrying a negligible reproach to the princess. "Please, now, Anna… Don't make me feel like a fool. I know, I know something is wrong," he noticed her hands were trembling, though he couldn't see her face, as the princess was looking to a different direction. _I would do anything to make you feel better, just speak to me!_

For a moment Anna thought how she would have reacted if Gabriel had said it at their very first meeting, but, since the idea did not make her feel better, she spoke. "It is. _Something_ is wrong, indeed…" Her voice, though firm, was hardly audible. After a pause, Anna spoke again, hardly a note louder. "But I _cannot _tell you what that is." She was afraid to move. It appeared to the princess that every single word or gesture of hers would provoke something within her – something she did not want to show. She hated herself at that moment, as each breath seemed to take some of her strength away.

Gabriel nearly jumped at that phrase. "You can have secrets from me, of course, princess. But…If I understood you correctly – you don't trust me?"

His words had a striking effect on Anna. "I…what?" She turned to him, her eyes wide open. She did not cry, but the way she looked at him made Gabriel regret his words, as he didn't mean to hurt her at all. The princess didn't turn her burning eyes away from him anymore. Her eyes conveyed a feeling Gabriel could never have mixed with some other. _She loves me, and I hurt her! _Anna took a breath. "I trust you… only you." She looked up, trying to prevent the tears that she thought might appear from running.

Anna's trembling voice was too much for Gabriel. "I know that, I have always known that! I shouldn't have asked… Forgive me if I hurt you!" In a moment he was by her side.

"It's not that…" She allowed Gabriel to hold her hands, suddenly feeling free of all the tension she had been in. _I can't help it. I will cry._ But she did not – the princess learned that she still knew how to hide her emotions. This fact made her smile bitterly- the Anna people were used to was still a part of her.

"No! It is you that should forgive me my-"Anna raised her eyes at Gabriel – she could hear him breathing _so close_. She held her breath. "If only I knew what exactly was wrong with me… I would tell you, and I know that you would try to make me feel better…" She took a breath, speaking quietly with a smile that was blissful and at the same time assured. Nevertheless, Gabriel noticed some traces of tension on her face.

"The potions. Wretched witch." Gabriel did not aim his look at Anna, but she caught it and trembled at the idea. "No, no. It's something else, I'm sure." She felt Gabriel's warm hand on her bare shoulder. "It's always better to believe … " he spoke.

"It is. And now, with you," – her voice turned into a whisper, - "I'm starting to believe the nightmare is over." Anna gave a little shiver, not stopping to smile and instinctively taking Gabriel's hand into hers. "Did I thank you already?"

"Yes, you did, before." Gabriel shrugged, not knowing what to expect from the princess. _I love when you are unpredictable; I love when I can foresee your actions. Oh, how much I-_

"I missed you."

"I know." Anna smiled at him joyfully. "And I… can't say that I missed you in a sense that you do." Anna's joyful smile turned to bitter, and she heaved a sigh.

Noticing that, Gabriel embraced her. "I have never thought I -…"

Anna shook her head slightly, her eyes shining with simulated disagreement. "Hey, I feel you are going to speak all this sentimental … stuff to me. Better hush, and hold me," the princess wrapped her arms around Van Helsing, her voice always remaining silent. "I must admit, sometimes I like being sentimental, but-

She didn't say a word more, giving up to his embrace and soft kisses. And that was more than enough for Gabriel, who still couldn't believe Anna was finally there with him. _His Anna._


	18. Between love and reason

**Chapter 18**

„Wait." Anna freed herself from Gabriel's embrace. But even if she hadn't, the emotions Van Helsing thought he heard in Anna's voice whispering this single word would have made him step back.

The princess took his hand, as if trying to defuse the effect of breaking the bliss, yet the look that she gave to her saviour made him feel even more puzzled. Anna looked at him with such appeal that he felt incapable of deciphering. It was either a shout for help burning in her eyes, or it was something else he didn't dare to name. Devotion, mixed with fear? Terror, mixed with passion? Not knowing how to react to it, he chose to smile at her encouragingly.

The princess did not smile back at him, but her eyes did. Afraid that her eyes may tell more than she felt ready to say, Anna focused her eyes on the burning candles. It felt so strange not to look at him. _Not as before._ She smiled to herself. _Who am I to hide my feelings from him? _When she looked back at him, Gabriel was still looking at her with a smile on his face – Van Helsing felt the thoughts in his head mingling, but all of them were shot with thoughts of Anna.

Chasing away her doubts, she spoke firmly. "Before, or if, this story of ours proceeds… I want to know…"

"Ask me anything," Gabriel spoke, relieved. _The story of ours… _The serious look that she gave him made him want to embrace her again, but he didn't, coming a bit closer to her instead.

"Believe me, I don't feel comfortable asking you that," she continued nervously. – "But as I am-

"-the greatest creature in all the world-", Gabriel couldn't resist touching her face gently with his fingertips, as if her face was made of glass – the same way he kissed her moments before.

"Stop provoking me," Anna couldn't keep her face solemn, and smiled, trying not to laugh out loud. "How-

-much do I love you?" Gabriel smiled at her assuringly.

"Well… not exactly that, but- the princess gave him a playful smile.

"But that will do?"

"Why are you doing this to me?"

_Doing what? _"I want you to know it…"

"I know it, as much as I know that I couldn't imagine my life without you, not anymore…" Anna's voice trembled, and she went towards the window, as if ashamed of her words.

Gabriel felt it was hard for her to say it, and that he shouldn't expect for more professions so soon, but he couldn't help asking: "Oh. Will I hear something more about it?"

"No. My title and my position prevent me from saying certain things," she spoke sharply after a pause, turning her eyes away from the view of the night, seen from the window, and directing her intent glance at Gabriel again. Noticing his confusion, she shrugged and smiled at him uncertainly. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's happening with me. Of course I love you." Anna smiled at him, when he kissed her hand. Her eyes were burning. _Are my dreams really coming true? _"I am your obedient servant, milady."

"No…" Anna suddenly shrank away from Van Helsing. "You are an obedient servant of those in Rome." Remembering what she had wanted to ask Gabriel, she sighed heavily, and her tone, intended to be playful, sounded painful. Meeting his glance, she smiled vaguely. "I don't want to share the man I love with anyone."

Anna bit her lip, struck by a thought about Sigrún. She, too, didn't want to share Gabriel with anyone. The thought was accompanied by another sigh. Nonetheless, Anna chose to keep it to herself, knowing something about the adverse relations between the man she loved and the woman (for she felt it wouldn't be right to think of her as of something more, or less, than a human) she never completely understood.

"Rome…" Van Helsing shook his head. "I can only thank them for… you." He touched Anna's hair. _You give me more than you will ever know. _"I work for them for money, and for- Gabriel stopped, trying to find the right word – "peace of mind, if you don't find hearing me talking about such things ridiculous."

"Not at all," Anna gave him a warm look. She knew very well what he wanted to say.

"Though fighting evil is something I rather enjoy doing, I admit," now it was his turn to avoid her glance, for he thought this was not the right thing and not the right moment to say it to Anna. However, she smiled at him, catching his glance.

"I understand this much," the princess winked at him. And even though the uncertainty about their future didn't allow her to be completely happy, she smiled, trying to push the doubts away.

"You do seem somehow different, Anna. Something bad has happened? Did I hurt you in any way? If you have something to tell me, please do…" Gabriel was perplexed – he knew Anna couldn't lie to him, and yet he sensed she was hiding something.

"Does my suppositional leaving for Rome really make you worry so much?" Gabriel spoke softly after a pause.

"It does, but I will try to avoid thinking about it." Anna was teasing him. She fixed her loving glance upon him, and breathed out with pleasure, when Gabriel returned it. "Don't think about it. There are better things to think about. And better things to do," he added, smiling.

"Better things to do…" Anna fixed her look on Gabriel, trying to suppress a conscious smile. "There are some things I can't stop thinking about, including you," she sighed happily, allowing him to kiss her face – but backed off as soon as he was about to start kissing her lips.

"Sorry," she gave her beloved an apologising glance. "I am really sorry, but, as long as there is a risk of dying of hunger, my love," Anna breathed out, learning that it wasn't so hard to address Gabriel like that, "we can't do any of the desired things that bring us-" – Anna stopped, as if thinking of the right word to say. But, lost in her thoughts, she didn't finish the sentence.

"You're right." Gabriel spoke, making the eyes of the princess glint, as she saw Gabriel smiling back at her lovingly, with no regret or disappointment in his eyes.

"Where is Carl, anyway?"


	19. Never know what the unexpected may bring

**Chapter 19**

"What do you mean – Carl will not be back tonight?" Van Helsing looked at the girl that brought them some simple dishes. Throwing a glance at Anna, he calmed down a bit. The princess seemed to be familiar with the girl. However, he could see she wasn't happy about seeing her, although she wasn't surprised, either.

After putting the dishes on the table, she spoke, unsure. "I don't really know, sir. He said you will know, and said he will come back tomorrow. I don't know much, the friar asked me to help, and here I am."

"Thank you," Anna smiled incredulously at the girl, who was still standing by the door. "Is there anything else you want to say?" She didn't know if she was happy about seeing her. _Not here, not now…_

"Yes," the girl blushed, directing her look at the princess. "I am- we are all very happy that you are back. Everybody missed you very much." She breathed out. It was clear to both Gabriel and Anna, that somebody had told her to say these words, as the girl seemed relieved after finishing the outpouring. She looked at Gabriel with interest, but said nothing, as he gave her a casual look and turned to Anna, wanting to warn her to be careful, but she understood it herself. Her sudden cold glance dropped the girl a hint, which was followed, in case she failed to understand, by words impossible to misinterpret.

"You may go now…." _A bit too cruel, oh well. _Anna managed to smile at the girl apologetically, but her eyes shone with dissatisfaction.

"Of course... Just wait till I bring plates and tableware-" The girl was feeling uncomfortable and almost ran out of the room. Both Gabriel and Anna didn't say a word to each other until the girl came back, did the things necessary and left.

Gabriel could see Anna felt relieved when the girl – probably a maid - left the room.

"Is she one of the servants?" Van Helsing touched Anna's shoulder gently.

The princess breathed out, trying to calm down. Gabriel touching her shoulder "She is- was- She was one of the first to leave when all the vampire-stuff started. I don't know where from she learned about our comeback…

She must have learned about it from Carl, eh?" Gabriel sighed, remembering his friend's habit to look for acquaintances. And to talk. "You don't have to trust her," he added.

The princess seemed to have missed the remark, her eyes and even her posture betraying that she was now lost in her memories.

"Carl's away. Do you know what that means?" Gabriel spoke slowly, smiling at her, ready to do anything that would keep off all the thoughts troubling Anna.

"I do," Anna fixed her loving eyes on his, touching her lips insensibly. "We will be together, just you and me."

"But we should eat at first, shouldn't we?"

The princess nodded, somehow disturbed by the fact that such a simple thing as eating seemed unsuitable to her under such circumstances. _What circumstances?_

As they began eating, Gabriel was following every slightest movement of Anna's hands, so as not to make her uncomfortable in any way by looking at her face – somehow he thought it would distract her from eating, when it was something she really needed – he guessed she hasn't eaten since morning, forgetting that he hasn't either. But he couldn't keep his eyes away from her face for long – for some reason he was afraid that something might happen to_ his_ Anna in one of the moments when he wasn't watching her… Or so he pretended. The first thing Gabriel saw when he lifted his eyes at her was Anna's dreamy glance.

"You must eat too," she smiled at Gabriel, throwing a glance at his plate – the food was barely touched. "And don't tell me you are not hungry. Besides, my hands shouldn't be of any interest to you," she winked.

Gabriel looked at her searchingly, then a realisation hit him, and he smiled. _You can look at me as much as you like. _"As you wish, Anna..."

"That doesn't mean that I don't like when you look at me... But it appears that I distract you somehow from the process of eating," she continued, smiling.

"Oh yes, you do..." Gabriel teased her. "But don't forget-"

"To… eat?" Anna couldn't suppress a laugh. "Very well," her voice turned into a whisper, and she pressed her finger to her lips, as she turned her eyes to her plate. "We act like two children…"

Gabriel got the message, and they spent the following fifteen minutes in silence. Now it was hard for both of them to concentrate… but they managed, this time only exchanging looks from time to time.

"It's late…" Anna stated as if in disbelief, when they both rose and she was about to take the plates off the table.

"You shouldn't- there are servants for this," Gabriel smiled at her. He expected that she would disagree, giving some reason strong enough to persuade him… and so she did. "You mean – there were? I have no other choice," Anna looked at Gabriel, searching for approval in his eyes. "The girl – Joana - is probably sleeping now, and I don't want to wake her up, I was so mean to her today-

Gabriel didn't share her views, but said nothing.

Once more lost in her thoughts (or rather in the eyes of her beloved), the princess lost her holdfast, and the dishes fell to the floor, breaking into thousands of pieces.

He looked at her, alarmed. "I told you that you-" Anna met Gabriel's look with unnatural coldness, before completely losing her balance and falling.

-shouldn't." Van Helsing got to her in a moment, somehow managing to avoid the shatters. "Anna, my dearest, my bravest Anna…" _I swear, I will go and wake up the girl now. _

Gabriel got the momentary idea out of his mind as soon as he looked at the princess. She was crying. He threw a glance at her bleeding hands – could see that there was nothing to be worried about, some small yet deep wounds that brought about an unusual amount of blood. Seeing that he could not chase away the doubts completely. _Why is Carl not here when he is needed the most? _

"It hurts." Anna stated. Not looking at Gabriel, she raised herself, a crooked self-mocking smile appearing on her lips. The tears, however, did not stop falling, and she swore in her mind, not being able to control them, and not wanting to get her face stained with all the blood, when trying to wipe the unwelcome tears away. Of course, the pain was not intolerable, and the small accident rather served as a reason to let her feelings and fears out. "I must go to the bathroom… to-" she raised her hands, giving Gabriel an unintended desperate look.

"I will go with you," Gabriel spoke deliberately, when Anna moved towards the door, afraid that she might be strangely affected by . She didn't object to his taking her hand, but winced in pain, letting go of him immediately.

_Damn it. _"Anna, forgive me, I didn't mean to-"

"It's all right, let's just go, before anything else happened."


	20. Talk to me

**Chapter 20**

Blood. And more blood. Washing it off her hands, Anna could hardly disguise the unpleasant feeling the sight brought her. _Besides, I still feel the pain. _But neither the pain nor the blood was her biggest concern. _Ignore it, and it will go away. _As soon as she didn't feel tears running down her cheeks anymore, she washed her face as carefully as she could, still not looking at Gabriel.

"Is anything wrong?" Anna felt Gabriel was looking at her, her voice quiet and betraying the awkwardness she felt knowing that he was just beside her. _I did not want you to experience all this, believe me._

Gabriel smiled at the princess. "No."

"Then…"

"Then we have to bandage up your wounds, before you lose too much blood. Isn't it so?" He looked at her expressively. Turning to him, she still managed to catch the look, and gave him a backward smile. "Will you allow me to help you?" Gabriel spoke carefully, almost practically feeling the inner fight with herself that Anna was experiencing.

"…yes." The princess hardly understood what she was told. There were too many thoughts in her mind she could not simply banish, as every attempt of hers to focus on but one of them failed. _I need to calm down. _Realising her own inability to cope with mental things, those that should have been much easier to deal with than those she had met when fighting the things she could see and feel, she sighed heavily.

"Does it hurt very much?" Gabriel inquired, attempting to clean her wounds with a piece of cloth, moistened in spirits. He was ready to do anything so as to make the princess feel better.

"No… no." It was only after these words that she completely realised what he was doing. She smiled at him thankfully. "I was only thinking- _trying to escape myself._

"Negative thoughts, were they?"

Anna blinked, shrugging. "I didn't know you could read thoughts. I will have to be more careful when thinking from now on."

Gabriel smiled, not interrupting his work for a second. "I can see it in your eyes."

"Oh. Looking at me must be quite an obstacle to this unpleasant task of yours," Anna withdrew her hands, looking at Gabriel earnestly. "I can do it myself!" Anna gazed at him, smiling as he shrugged at her words. He knew she could do it. _Is there a thing you can't do? _"Of course you can, my dear Anna Valerious. But it is you who is injured, not me. And I am willing to help you." _Because I love you._

Anna's heavy thoughts were rubbed off almost at once by the feeling of blessedness – not once did Gabriel's eyes carry a sign of discontent. On the contrary, he was binding the wounds so quickly, yet carefully, that the princess could barely feel any discomfort – and she could not take her eyes off him. Even the silence between them bore a promise of something good, or so it seemed to Anna... before she remembered his inescapable departure. "Fine… fine, Gabriel. Van Helsing."

"It's all so unexpected," Anna spoke, when Gabriel was leading her back to the room 'with a lot of candles.' "And isn't it funny… back then I wasn't able to walk, and now… now you won't allow me to do anything with my hands," she glared at him, a smile never leaving her lips.

"Absolutely not." The austere look Gabriel gave her made Anna's smile grow wider. "Too bad… As I really wanted to-

She bit her lip, her voice turning into a whisper. "Damn. It hurts."

Gabriel sighed, trying to keep his look as level as possible, as neither of them could turn their eyes away from each other, and he really didn't want to make Anna feel even more uncomfortable by letting her know that every smallest complaint of hers makes him feel helpless. "If only I could ease your pain somehow, I would."

"I know." Anna's eyes sparkled with happiness. "And that's why my tiny little discomfort about my hands means nothing to me, when you- _What am I saying? It hurts so much that- but it's nothing, compared to what will wait for me when you go away…_

She stopped and turned her eyes away, a sigh escaping her lips.

"Does it really hurt so much? Aren't you exaggerating?" He gave Anna a small encouraging smile.

"Maybe… a little bit. But you misjudge here – it has nothing to do with-" The smile on Gabriel's face grew, as he touched her shoulder gently. "What is it, then?" _I think I know what it is, but why won't you tell me_?

Anna pretended to be thinking for a moment. "As I am not allowed to use my hands-" she sighed, backing off a little, as she was trying her best to keep reserved and not to express her real feelings openly. _I know you see everything written on my face, but-_

Anna's voice grew silent, as she lost the thread of her words. "But now… wait, Gabriel, I think you must be very tired. Why don't you just go and-

Gabriel shook his head. "Not until you are yourself again," he winked.

"What do you mean, Gabriel?" the name was barely pronounced at all.

"To me, you still seem somehow… tense. What is wrong? Can I do anything about it?"

The princess closed her eyes for a moment – she felt as if her heart was going to jump out of her chest from felicity. _Do you really care about me so much?_ This time she did not feel like going through some inner fight again, and the loving look Gabriel gave her only helped her to make up her mind.

"I think you could," Anna's words were barely audible.

"Tell me, what can I do for you?" Gabriel asked in a whisper, smiling and easily conceiving the implied rules of the game his beloved woman was playing.

The princess leaned to his ear and whispered something. Van Helsing smiled to himself, touching Anna's cheek softy.

"Anna, my dearest… is this all? I've been waiting for this," his eyes met hers, exchanging the same warm feeling. "It doesn't hurt so much to say it, does it?"

Anna shook her head, closing her eyes, as she felt the warmth of Gabriel's breath on her face.


	21. Too perfect, or?

**Chapter 21**

In the blink of an eye Anna felt Gabriel's lips on hers. Strangely for her, she somehow learnt his kiss was much more than she actually needed or wanted from him that very moment – but the way he smiled at her… she could not object. _It was me who asked for this kiss, after all. _She could not believe it, still hearing Gabriel's words ringing in her ears. This simple request was something Anna never thought herself capable of making… until now.

"What is it, my love?" Gabriel stopped for a moment, looking at her with concern.

"No… nothing," she whispered, embracing him. _Oh- _the princess remembered all of a sudden that she should not have done it, as the pain she managed to ignore for some time struck her again. But she did not move away from him this time, trying to bury the nearly improper pain in kisses. She could almost say that she succeeded. The strong feelings that have overtaken Anna were almost frightening. _Is this what love is all about?_ She had wanted to say so many things, but right now they seemed nothing more than empty expressions. So she just lost herself in another kiss. _I love you. _

Gabriel was happy. More than that, he felt he was blessed to have the princess by his side. To be with her, to love and to be loved by her. Anna the brave, Anna the strong, Anna the unpredictable… He caught himself thinking of more words – beautiful words – to describe her. Not once did Gabriel think about seeing her as a weak person. Having seen so many people he knew how to distinguish between both the strong and the weak. _I don't want to leave you. I cannot, I won't leave you. I love you, Anna. _

"Gabriel-" The princess opened her eyes and smiled, feeling and seeing Gabriel so close to her. Anna's voice seemed no louder than the wind to him. Gabriel was surprised he could still understand her.

"Anna?"

She gave a laugh, biting her lip. "I know I shouldn't talk like that… But I'm afraid I love you too much," her last words disappeared within a kiss. _I hope I never lose you._

"So do I, Anna…" Gabriel found her name now sounded like the most beautiful music in his head.

_Anna, Anna, Anna…_

"Anna… can you get any more perfect?"

"Gabriel." Anna threw him an affectionate glance, accompanied by a sweet smile. She really saw no reason to say anything more.

The princess flinched when Gabriel accidentally touched her hand. "Forgive me", he smiled apologetically at her.

"There's no reason for you to apologise," Anna smiled back at him, chasing away the unpleasant thoughts that were about to enter her mind again. However, one memory still slipped through… the memory of the minutes, _hours… days _when she did not know whether she would survive the day, and of all the pain she had felt. It made her tremble, and the princess shrank back. Gabriel smiled at her understandingly, when she sat down on an armchair carefully, trying not to touch anything. It appeared to Gabriel Anna did it obliviously... or maybe she just wanted to get closer to the burning candles – he had already noticed that watching their flames had some kind of soothing effect on the princess. _But you should be relaxed now. Everything is all right, nobody is hunting us- _Gabriel smiled at the thought_. _The princess switched her look from the candles to Gabriel, her face lighting up with an unconscious smile.

"You must find me strange," she spoke, when Gabriel came closer.

"Strange? No, just a little unpredictable," he smiled. "Don't you think you should have a rest? This day brought way too many events to us…"

_Probably he's right. _"I indeed think I should – and I will, just now, though I'm sure you must be much more tired than I am."

"Do you want me to call the girl to help you with your dressing?" Gabriel threw a meaningful glance to her hands.

"Oh… yes, thank you," Anna looked at him thankfully, not actually perceiving the meaning of his words. "Goodnight, Gabriel." "Goodnight, Anna."

At the moment she was about to leave, Carl entered the room. He seemed very excited. "Good evening. Both of you are still here, and that's great, for I have brought you something," he placed some letters on the table. "I don't think these are of importance to us, though," he winked at the princess. "Luckily for me…" she grinned, having scanned through the contents of the given letters in less than a minute. "Invitations to events I never attend," she placed them back on the table, avoiding to meet the friar's look. She _was_ tired, and only wanted to go to bed now.

"So… What were you two… doing?" Carl's voice fell, when he saw Anna smiling at him – he was sure he saw a complaint in that look.

"That's a very clever question… A subtle one, even." Gabriel shrugged at him.

Anna threw him an indecipherable glance, that way puzzling the friar completely.

The glance was accompanied with a doubtful smile, which could have been understood either as a misunderstanding of what he said or as a reaction to a bad joke. Either way, Carl felt uncomfortable.

Seeing the apologising look in his eyes, Anna gave him the nice smile he was used to seeing. She thought it best to ignore Carl's question. "I don't know what is wrong with both of you – or with every man around me – why can't they learn to knock before coming in…" Anna looked at Gabriel and gave him a meaningful look – it was enough to see that he remembered the day of their abandoned departure as well as she did.

"Wait." The friar's words were now directed at Anna. Carl finally noticed her bandaged hands, and looked at the princess inquiringly. Feeling he needed to react to it somehow, he said the first words that he could think of. "How did this happen?"

"Well…" Apparently, Anna didn't feel like explaining anything.

"I'll explain this to you later," Gabriel said to Carl, fixing his look on Anna. _Do you want me to help you? _There was no need to say it aloud, as the princess shook her head. "You don't have to. In fact, I would prefer if you allowed me to deal with these- these small difficulties which may arise… completely on my own," she winked, giving both him and the friar a small confident smile. "Besides, I am tired… Goodnight, Carl, goodnight, Gabriel-

In a moment she the princess hurried out of the room, the sound of her steps dying away in a few seconds.

"Does that mean "I am tired"? Carl looked askew at Gabriel.

"Don't ask me," Van Helsing shrugged, dreamy look appearing on his face for a moment. "I don't think I'll ever be able to understand her fully." _And I am very happy about it._


	22. Sooner or later

**Chapter 22**

Finally done with the dressing, the princess heaved out a sigh. She now allowed the unpleasant mixture of disappointment, bitterness, anger and sadness to overtake her. The fatigue and the distracting pain did not matter anymore, as Anna felt she would not be able to sleep anyway, various thoughts now turning in her head. It was clear to her that Carl didn't say everything – and she knew perfectly well what the thing he has chosen to suppress was. _Sometimes I wish I didn't know people so well- _The thoughts of being left alone again were mingling with her recent memories.

A timid knock on the door woke her up from the uneasy slumber she has finally given up to.

"Come in," Anna uttered the words reluctantly. There was only one person she wanted to see at that moment. _Maybe he could explain… _ "I can't sleep anyway," a smile lit up on her face, when she saw Gabriel entering the room. She covered herself with sheets. "You know, usually no man enters my room at this hour," the princess grinned, her eyes, however, giving out no such bright emotions.

Gabriel sat down beside her, sharing the same feeling. "I need to tell you something I don't think you will like, Anna, but-

"Rome? I'm afraid I know it all... Sometimes I feel you still underestimate me. And I hate it when you hide something from me…"

Van Helsing looked at her with distrust, his eyes insensibly travelling down her bare shoulders. Anna gave him a wry smile. "I think it would be better if you two left as soon as possible." _What must be, must be_. "What about tomo- today?"

_Anna! _Gabriel grabbed her hand, stupefied. The princess frowned in pain, but didn't take her hand away, looking at him closely. She felt she needed to calm him down, to assure him of her feelings. Not allowing him to speak, she continued. "Of course, it will be painful for me. _You cannot imagine- I cannot imagine how I am going to cope with it. _She quickly chased away the thought, realising she did not want him to see her tears – not this way. "The sooner you leave, the sooner you come back, isn't it so?"

"You're right, Anna. I will be here with you in no time. I will write to you!" These words meant a lot, as he hated correspondence. Anna shrugged, and Gabriel smiled at her, only then noticing that some wounds in the hand he had been holding began to bleed again. The princess noticed it the very same moment. A painful hiss escaped her lips. "Not again."

"It's all my fault, love. I will help you, if only you allow me."

The princess rolled her eyes. "Stop talking nonsense. Please, do whatever you think is necessary." Her voice fell silent, as she closed her eyes. Having said everything, and once again hearing her lover promise he would remain faithful to her, the princess felt happy. Now there was no reason for her to continue fighting the fatigue, and when Gabriel and Carl came back to her, she was almost asleep. "We will try to be quick, Anna."

"Yes, please." Having to go through the procedures again was not what she was happy about. However, she did enjoy having Gabriel by her side. _Only Heaven knows when we will meet again._

* * *

When Anna finally opened her eyes in the morning, it was way past breakfast time. It seemed like this was going to be a perfect day. Getting up, she looked at her hands – they didn't hurt anymore, however, the princess shook her hand insensibly, involuntarily comparing her bandaged hands with those of warriors – they looked exactly as she had imagined... back when she had the time to read fictional literature just for her pleasure, not having to worry about things that were happening around her. _How long ago was that?_

Anna sighed, quickly chasing away the unpleasant memories. Then she remembered the thing she learned the day before…and it was even more unpleasant. _I will manage. I am strong enough. _You_ keep telling me that I am._

Anna felt there was no use in waiting, and, having put on the first dress she found suitable, quickly hurried out of her room which now seemed so dull.

Finding both men downstairs, she greeted them, not showing any emotions. The princess wanted them to think she was not affected by what was soon going to happen... and they appeared to accept the rules of her game – the exchange of greetings and meaningless phrases seemed right and proper enough, even though deep within none of them was nearly as indifferent to the goodbye that was approaching as they were trying to show.

They were smiling and telling jokes right till the very last minute. The smile was shining on Anna's face even when they were already outside. Having said goodbye to Carl, she only had to survive one more thing. "I will be back as soon as I can," Gabriel assured her, putting his hand on her shoulders. It was enough to make the princess giggle nervously. "Go," she whispered, managing to keep the smile on her face. "Go now." _Before I begin to cry. _"Don't say anything."

Gabriel was also feeling uncomfortable. He could see the princess was trying her best in not showing her emotions, and he knew he should not try to talk to her, as much as he wanted to tell her he loved her. "Go, just go. I'll be waiting for you," she smiled at him, before turning towards the castle.

That night, she was crying. Something has ended – but she knew every end brought a new beginning.

* * *

**The End.**

_A/N. Thank you for reading, your opinions would be greatly appreciated! ;)  
_

_The yet unfinished sequel to this story is called **A New Day** ;)  
_


End file.
